HM Treasury

Employment: Disability

Dr David Drew: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the evidence that suggests the greater employment of disabled people is a significant drag upon the British level of productivity as stated in his oral evidence to the Treasury Select Committee on 6 December 2017.

Andrew Jones: The Chancellor is extremely proud of our record of helping over 600,000 disabled people into employment over the last four years. At the Treasury Committee, he made a broader point about workforce productivity. Both the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Office for Budget Responsibility have suggested that increasing overall employment may have had an effect on measures of productivity. The Chancellor was not suggesting – and does not believe – that increased participation by people with disabilities has had any negative impact on the economy. It has helped to increase economic growth and it is something we can be very proud of as a country.

Treasury: Brexit

Hilary Benn: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department (a) has drafted or (b) is drafting a market access commission on the implications of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.

Hilary Benn: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has established a market access commission on the implications of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.

Stephen Barclay: As the Chancellor made clear in front of the Treasury Select Committee on Wednesday 6 December, the department has undertaken a variety of analysis and continues to do. The Treasury has modelled and analysed the impact of a wide range of potential alternative structures between the EU and the UK. This analysis is ongoing and continues to inform our negotiation position with the EU.

Treasury: EU Nationals

Caroline Lucas: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many non-UK EU nationals started employment in his Department since 23 June 2016.

Andrew Jones: Thirteen non-UK EU nationals started employment in HM Treasury since 23rd June 2016.

Revenue and Customs: ICT

Anneliese Dodds: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to increase the number of staff in HMRC with information technology skills as a result of the introduction of the Customs Declaration Service system and the extension of existing Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight systems.

Mel Stride: HMRC is on track to deliver the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) programme which will provide a more flexible customs declaration system to meet future needs. The majority of resources needed are already in place for the introduction of the CDS and for the extension of the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF). HMRC are – and will continue to – resource and reprioritise as appropriate. HMRC will be migrating customers from the current CHIEF system to CDS between August 2018 and January 2019, when CDS is due to be fully implemented.

Electric Vehicles

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much of the £400 million electric charging infrastructure fund announced at the Autumn Budget 2017 will be made available for (a) the installation of charge points in London and (b) the installation of 43kW or 50kW rapid charge points in (i) UK and (ii) London.

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress has been made in securing the £200 million private sector investment for charging infrastructure announced in the Autumn Budget 2017; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones: Following the announcement of the Fund at Autumn Budget, the Government is engaging with the private sector to ensure that it is set up in the most effective way. Further details will be announced in due course.

Treasury: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many data incidents his Department (a) recorded and (b) reported to the Information Commissioner's Office in (i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-17.

Andrew Jones: 11 data incidents were recorded in 2015-16 and 10 were recorded in 2016-17. None of the incidents involved personal data and none were reported to the Information Commissioner's Office. HM Treasury take security breaches very seriously. In every case where a breach is recorded, the scale of the breach is determined by assessing the circumstances of each case in line with our department’s disciplinary guidance. In cases where there is clear evidence of misconduct, this will result in disciplinary measures.

Treasury: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times his Department's Senior Information Risk Officer role has been vacant for a week or longer since 2012.

Andrew Jones: The Senior Information Risk Officer role has not been vacant since 2012

Whisky: Excise Duties

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he last met the hon. Member for Moray to discuss duty rates on Scotch Whisky.

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he last met the hon. Member for Gordon to discuss duty rates on Scotch Whisky.

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he last met the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire and West Kincardine to discuss duty rates on Scotch Whisky.

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he last met the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan to discuss duty rates on Scotch Whisky.

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he last met the hon. Member for Stirling to discuss duty rates on Scotch Whisky.

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he last met the hon. Member for Angus to discuss duty rates on Scotch Whisky.

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he last met the hon. Member for Ochil and South Perthshire to discuss duty rates on Scotch Whisky.

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he last met the hon. Member for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock to discuss duty rates on Scotch Whisky.

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he last met the hon. Member for Aberdeen South to discuss duty rates on Scotch Whisky.

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he last met the hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk to discuss duty rates on Scotch Whisky.

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he last met the hon. Member for East Renfrewshire to discuss duty rates on Scotch Whisky.

Andrew Jones: Government ministers regularly meet with Members of Parliament to discuss policy issues.

Corruption: Africa

Anneliese Dodds: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of the report of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa's High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa.

Stephen Barclay: The Government welcomes the United Nations’ efforts to understand and address the problem of illicit financial flows in Africa and is committed to supporting African countries to effectively tackle this issue. The Government provides financial and advisory support to the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group and provides technical assistance to many countries across the continent in areas such as anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, tax transparency and public financial management. This support includes capacity building for Financial Intelligence Units and tax administrations, including in relation to exchange of information for tax purposes and implementation of the outcomes of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting project.

Treasury: ICT

Jon Trickett: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer,  what steps I) his Department and ii) HMRC is taking to implement the guidance set out by the Government Commercial Function in its paper entitled Exiting Major IT Contracts: Guidance for Departments, published in November 2017, in respect of (a) using market engagement, (b) setting up disaggregation work, (c) risk assessment, (d) developing a programme plan through the transition, (e) identifying the skills and capabilities that will be needed in the future and (f) any other work related to that guidance.

Andrew Jones: HM Treasury currently has no IT contracts that fall within the threshold(s) set out in the “Exiting Major IT Contracts: Guidance for Departments” paper. HMRC has already implemented much of the guidance set out in the recent publication through the successful conclusion of the Columbus programme (which will reduce IT run costs by c£200m pa by 2020-21), which saw the disaggregation of legacy IT contracts by breaking them into a series of smaller, more flexible contracts with new and existing suppliers. HMRC has already started detailed work on the next phase which covers current IT contracts ending in June 2020.

Cash Dispensing: Fees and Charges

Bill Esterson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the proposal by the LINK network of AGM providers to reduce interchange fees on (a) consumers, (b) small business and (c) high streets and (d) access to cash for customers; whether his Department has made an assessment of the combined effect of that proposal with a reduction in the availability of banks on (i) consumers and (ii) businesses; and what progress has been made on the commitment he gave in his evidence to the House of Lords Exclusion Committee on engaging with the LINK network and its members to ensure that widespread free access to cash is maintained.

Dr David Drew: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to encourage banks to provide rural communities with access to ATM.

Chi Onwurah: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on levels of financial inclusion of the LINK network's recent proposals to reduce the interchange fee paid by banks to independent ATM operators.

Stephen Barclay: The Government recognises that widespread free access to cash remains extremely important to the day-to-day lives of many consumers and businesses in the UK, and will continue to work with industry to ensure that this access continues. Since 1998, the number of free to use ATMs has more than doubled, from 24,600 to over 53,000. The Government has not made any formal assessment of the potential effect of LINK’s proposals to reduce interchange fees in isolation, or in combination with bank branch closures. However, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), which Government set up in 2015 with the statutory objective to ensure that the UK’s payment systems work in the interests of their users is monitoring developments within ATM provision, and is conducting ongoing internal work on the impact that changes may have on ATM provision. Government is confident that the PSR will use its powers to act should any of the firms it regulates behave in a way that conflicts with its statutory objectives. The Government is engaging regularly with LINK and its members, and they have assured us that industry is committed to maintaining an extensive network of free-to-use cash machines, and to ensuring that the present geographical spread of ATMs is maintained. LINK intend to bolster their Financial Inclusion Programme, which ensures the provision of ATMs in areas of deprivation, where demand would not otherwise make one viable, and have recently also committed to protecting all free-to-use ATMs which are a kilometre or more from the next nearest free-to-use ATM. The Government expects this additional commitment to be of particular benefit to rural areas.

Financial Services Ombudsman: Small Businesses

Martyn Day: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to expand the role of the Financial Services Ombudsman to allow all small and medium sized businesses to make complaints on banking services.

Stephen Barclay: The remit of the Financial Ombudsman Services (FOS) is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority, which is operationally independent of Government. The FCA indicated in the April 2017 Feedback Statement on their Mission consultation that they intend to consult on widening the remit of the FOS.

Offshore Industry: Taxation

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he last met the hon. Member for Aberdeen South to discuss the transfer of the liabilities measure included in the Autumn 2017 Budget.

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he last met the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan to discuss the transfer of the liabilities measure included in the Autumn 2017 Budget.

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he last met the hon. Member for Gordon to discuss the transfer of the tax liabilities measure included in the Autumn 2017 Budget.

Mel Stride: Government ministers regularly meet with Members of Parliament to discuss policy issues.

UK Trade with EU

Emma Reynolds: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) holds reports setting out the current economic relationship between the UK and other individual EU member states.

Stephen Barclay: We are undertaking a comprehensive programme of analytical work to inform negotiations. The Government is seeking input from a wide range of businesses and industry bodies. Our department works closely with the Department for Exiting the European Union to ensure that they are informed of our understanding of these issues.

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Caroline Flint: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 4.17 of the Autumn Budget 2017, what assessment he has made of the effect of freezing alcohol duties on levels of alcohol consumption.

Caroline Flint: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 4.17 of the Autumn Budget 2017, what assessment he has made of the effect of freezing alcohol duties on alcohol-related hospital admissions.

Caroline Flint: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 4.17 of the Autumn Budget 2017, what assessment he has made of the effect of freezing alcohol duties on alcohol-related deaths.

Andrew Jones: The Treasury engages with a wide variety of organisations to understand policy impacts, including the impact on public health. Public Health England supports local authorities in commissioning effective alcohol prevention and treatment services by providing bespoke advice on good practice to help them meet the needs of their local population. In addition, the UK Chief Medical Officers have produced new low risk drinking guidelines which provide the public with the latest information about the health risks of different levels and patterns of drinking. The guidelines are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alcohol-consumption-advice-on-low-risk-drinking

Overseas Trade: China

Jo Stevens: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of  14 December 2017 to Question 118571 on Overseas Trade: China, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the on-going dispute with OLAF on alleged tariff duty loss does not hinder the negotiations for the UK leaving the EU.

Mel Stride: The government is already in correspondence with the Commission regarding this issue, which relates to past transactions. As set out in the government’s response to Question 118571, HMRC has a comprehensive strategy for tackling suspected customs fraud.

Children: Day Care

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received on parents in receipt of childcare vouchers not being able to access 30 hours free childcare; if he will take steps to ensure that guidance provided to HM Revenue and Customs on such parents being able to access such childcare is correct; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: Parents can be eligible for 30 hours free childcare and receive employer-supported childcare vouchers at the same time. Any parents who require additional guidance or experience a technical issue when applying or reconfirming for 30 hours free childcare should contact HMRC’s helpline on 0300 123 4097.

Banks: Taxation

Bill Esterson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the amount of money that would have been raised for the public purse if the bankers' bonus tax had been retained in each year since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Mel Stride: The bank payroll tax applied only to banking bonuses awarded between December 2009 and April 2010. The last Labour Chancellor conceded that it could not be repeated without significant tax avoidance. Bank specific tax measures introduced by the Conservative government since the bank payroll tax include the bank levy, an additional 8% surcharge on banking profits, making misconduct compensation non-deductible and restricting the amount of carry-forward losses. All these changes mean that we will have raised more than £44 billion in additional bank taxes by 2023.

Banks: Capital Investment

Martyn Day: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will conduct an inquiry into the effect on the viability of small to medium sized business of banks’ efforts to improve their own capital ratios.

Stephen Barclay: The Government established an independent Financial Policy Committee (FPC) to identify, monitor and take action to remove or reduce systemic risks with a view to protecting and enhancing the resilience of the UK financial system. In March 2017 the FPC judged the appropriate Tier 1 capital requirement for the UK banking system, in aggregate and net of any countercyclical capital buffer, to be 13.5% of risk-weighted assets, as currently measured. The FPC’s judgement of the appropriate level of capital for the banking system was calibrated such that banks could absorb the cumulative losses in historical stress episodes and continue to provide essential services to the real economy. The Government is supporting lending to SMEs in a variety of ways, including: establishing the British Business Bank to make finance markets work better for small businesses; supporting challenger banks; introducing a bespoke regime for peer-to-peer lending; and structural interventions such as the bank referral scheme and the SME credit data sharing scheme.

Employment: Disability

Caroline Lucas: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his Answer of 12 December 2017 to Question 118240, what the exact  references are from reports by the Office for Budget Responsibility, the Institute for Fiscal Studies and other bodies which provide evidence of a relationship between increased participation in the workforce by disabled people and average productivity or overall productivity measurements.

Andrew Jones: At the Treasury Committee, the Chancellor made a broader point about economy-wide labour productivity. Both the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Office for Budget Responsibility have suggested that increasing overall employment may have influenced measures of productivity. The Chancellor was not suggesting – and does not believe – that increased participation by people with disabilities has had any negative impact on the economy. There is no evidence of a relationship between aggregate productivity measures and an increase in workforce participation of people with disabilities. It has however helped to increase economic growth and it is something we can be very proud of as a country.

Credit

Julian Knight: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department, the Financial Conduct Authority or the Financial Ombudsman Service distinguish in regulatory terms between non-insurance contractual debt freeze or waiver products sold as part of regulated credit agreements and Payment Protection Insurance.

Julian Knight: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the 29 August 2019 deadline for making redress claims for mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance also applies to non-insurance debt freeze and waiver products.

Julian Knight: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the deadline for claims for the mis-selling of non-insurance debt freeze and waiver products beyond 29 August 2019.

Stephen Barclay: I can confirm that non-insurance contractual debt freeze and other waiver products sold as part of regulated credit agreements are distinguished in regulatory terms from Payment Protection Insurance (PPI). The Financial Conduct Authority’s 29 August 2019 deadline for making redress claims for mis-sold PPI applies only to claims in relation to PPI.

Credit

Julian Knight: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department or the Financial Conduct Authority has assessed the (a) uptake levels, (b) cancellation rates and (c) successful activation rates of debt freeze or waiver products by consumers who were sold those products alongside credit cards and other credit products.

Julian Knight: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department or the Financial Conduct Authority has made an assessment of the utility or value-for-money enjoyed by consumers who purchased contractual debt freeze or waiver products alongside credit cards and other credit products.

Stephen Barclay: The regulation of consumer credit is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Any regulated firms offering contractual debt freeze or waiver products must comply with the FCA’s high-level principles, including treating customers fairly. In particular, the FCA has made it clear that firms developing and selling income and payment protection products must think carefully about how they meet the needs of customers. We have passed the Honourable Gentleman’s question on to the FCA, who will reply directly to him by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Electronic Commerce: VAT

Mike Kane: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many joint and several liability notices HMRC has issued to online marketplaces due to overseas sellers failing to meet UK VAT requirements since September 2016.

Mel Stride: Between September 2016 and 30 November 2017, HMRC has issued 657 notices to online marketplaces. In all cases the online marketplace has removed the non-compliant overseas seller from its platform.

Electronic Commerce: VAT

Mike Kane: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will set out every enforcement action taken against online marketplaces that have been issued with a joint and several liability notice due to overseas sellers failing to meet UK VAT requirements since September 2016.

Mel Stride: HMRC cannot comment on the affairs of individual taxpayers, as it has a duty to maintain taxpayer confidentiality. However, between September 2016 and 30 November 2017, HMRC has issued 657 notices to online marketplaces making them jointly and severally liable for future VAT evasion by non-compliant overseas sellers. In all cases the online marketplace has removed the seller from its platform.

Electronic Commerce: VAT

Mike Kane: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will set out every online marketplace that has been issued with a joint and several liability notice and the number of notices issued to each of those online marketplaces due to overseas sellers failing to meet UK VAT requirements since September 2016.

Mel Stride: HMRC cannot comment on the affairs of individual taxpayers, as it has a duty to maintain taxpayer confidentiality. However, between September 2016 and 30 November 2017, HMRC has issued 657 notices to online marketplaces. In all cases the online marketplace has removed the non-compliant overseas seller from its platform.

Revenue and Customs: Advertising

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what external advisers or companies HM Revenue & Customs has used for advertising in each of the last four years.

Mel Stride: For advertising purposes, HM Revenue and Customs has used the following agencies at various points over the last four years. Adam & Eve DDBEngine GroupManning Gottlieb OMDPHD MediaGfKCaratM4CHavasTMP Worldwide All agencies were procured using the Crown Commercial Services frameworks applying fair and open competition procedures.

National Insurance Contributions: Exemptions

Dr David Drew: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to exempt from making monthly National Insurance contributions people who will be under the annual threshold but who are in erratic employment and so may be on occasion over the monthly limit.

Mel Stride: The government has no plans to move the basis of assessing National Insurance contributions (NICs) from a pay period to an annual basis. The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) considered this and related issues thoroughly in its two reports on aligning income tax and NICs published in 2016. The Chancellor responded on 23 November 2016 that although there are potential gains from moving NICs onto an annual basis, the reform would also be a major upheaval, with consequences for the labour market and a large number of individuals and businesses. The response concluded that it was not the right time to make this major reform and this remains the government’s view. The OTS reports can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closer-alignment-of-income-tax-and-national-insurance-contributions and at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ots-publishes-further-report-on-the-closer-alignment-of-it-and-nics . The government’s response can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/571265/OTS_NICS_CX__letter.pdf

Children: Day Care

Dr David Drew: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of how many recipients by parliamentary constituency will receive less in financial support as a result of the replacement of childcare vouchers by tax-free childcare.

Elizabeth Truss: The data available does not allow such an estimate to be made. The Government is committed to supporting working families with the cost of childcare. We are doubling the free childcare available to working parents of 3&4 year olds to 30 hours a week, saving them around £5,000 a year per child. In 2019/20 we will be spending around £6bn on childcare support – a record amount.

Children: Day Care

Dr David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to help mitigate the potential effect of the replacement of childcare vouchers by tax-free childcare in cases where one parent becomes unemployed.

Elizabeth Truss: Tax-Free Childcare is intended to support parents to return to work, or work more if they choose to. Parents who are due to return to work can apply for Tax-Free Childcare up to 31 days before starting a new job.

Non-domestic Rates: Liverpool City Region

Mike Amesbury: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on giving the Liverpool City Region Mayor the power to place a supplement on business rates to fund infrastructure with the agreement of the local business community through the Local Enterprise Partnership; and what timescale has been agreed for that power being granted.

Andrew Jones: The Government is committed to ensuring that the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has the appropriate powers to help promote local growth, and we are considering the most effective way to deliver those powers.

Deposits: Cryptocurrencies

Chris Evans: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to introduce deposit guarantee protections for consumers holding digital currencies.

Stephen Barclay: The Government has no current plans to introduce deposit guarantee protections for consumers holding digital currencies, but keeps all policy under review.

Money Laundering: Cryptocurrencies

Chris Evans: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether under the 4th Money Laundering Directive there are minimum transaction thresholds below which customer due diligence is not required for trade and investment in digital currencies.

Stephen Barclay: The European Union's Fourth Anti Money Laundering Directive (4MLD) was implemented into UK legislation by 'The Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017', which came in to force on 26 June 2017. Digital currency exchanges are not regulated for the purposes of 4MLD, so there is no requirement to undertake Customer Due Diligence for trade and investment in digital currencies at present. The government has however committed to bringing digital currencies into the scope of anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing (AML/CTF) regulation. Provisional political agreement has recently been reached at EU-level to amend 4MLD to bring digital currency exchange platforms and custodian wallet providers into the AML/CTF regime. These amendments will require Member States to oblige these entities to conduct customer due diligence when establishing a business relationship, when carrying out occasional transactions of €15,000 or more, when carrying out a transfer of funds exceeding €1,000, where there is a suspicion of money laundering or terrorist financing, and when there are doubts about the veracity or adequacy of previously obtained customer identification data.

Financial Services: Registration

Julian Knight: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications from Account Information Services Providers to become registered as a Registered Account Information Service Provider for the purposes of the Second EU Payment Services Directive have been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority; and what the number of such applications submitted to that authority is to date.

Julian Knight: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications from Account Information Services Providers in the UK to become registered as a Registered Account Information Service Providers have been accompanied by a personally identifiable information policy in a form considered acceptable by the Financial Conduct Authority; and how many such insurance policies have been rejected by that authority on the grounds of not meeting PSD2 requirements or otherwise not being acceptable.

Julian Knight: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many insurers in the market are providing personally identifiable information policies for Professional Indemnity Insurance Policies in a form considered acceptable by the Financial Conduct Authority and which meets the PSD2 requirement in the UK.

Stephen Barclay: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is conducting an ongoing registration and authorisation process for Open Banking Account Information Service Providers and Payment Initiation Service Providers. To date, 29 applications to be registered as an Account Information Service Provider have been received by the Financial Conduct Authority. As the Payment Services Regulations do not come into effect until 13 January 2018 it is not possible to formally approve applications before that date. Of the applications received to date, a number have been accompanied by a PII policy. Consideration of PII policies, and whether they meet the requirements of registration, are part of the ongoing assessment of these cases.

Financial Services: Disclosure of Information

Chi Onwurah: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reasons the Financial Conduct Authority uses a different definition of Account In formation service Providers to that (a) defined by his Department in the Payment Services Regulations 2017 and (b) set out in the Second Payment Services Directive.

Chi Onwurah: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reasons the Financial Conduct Authority uses a different definition of Account Information Service Providers to that used in other EU member states.

Stephen Barclay: The Financial Conduct Authority uses the definition of account information service providers that is set out in the Payment Services Regulations. The Regulations transpose Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) into UK law. Any difference in language between the definition in the Regulations and the definition in PSD2 is due to providing additional clarity on the meaning of Account Information Service Providers. The additional clarity provided by the definition set out in the Regulations is informed by the relevant recitals contained within PSD2. As an EU Directive does not have direct effect, EU member states must transpose this into their national legislation. It is normal for certain differences to exist in the legislation which transposes the directive.

Financial Services: Disclosure of Information

Chi Onwurah: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with the Financial Conduct Authority and the Open Banking Implementation Entity on ensuring that financial data aggregation platforms that are not defined as Account Information Service Providers can gain direct access to standardised open banking application programming interfaces.

Chi Onwurah: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans the Financial Conduct Authority and Open Banking Implementation Entity have to ensure that financial data aggregation platforms that are not defined as Account Information Service Providers can gain direct access to the standardised open banking application programming interfaces.

Stephen Barclay: Access to Open Banking Application Programming Interfaces is primarily a decision for the Open Banking Implementation Entity. The Open Banking Implementation Entity currently have no plans to allow third parties wishing to perform account aggregation services, that are not registered as Account Information Service Providers, to gain access to the Open Banking APIs. There have been no discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority and the Open Banking Implementation Entity on changing this position

Private Finance Initiative: Corporation Tax

Stella Creasy: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the rates of corporation tax paid by private sector contractors are included in the value for money assessment in private finance and private finance 2 contracts.

Andrew Jones: The value for money assessment for a Public Private Partnership follows the Green Book in the same way as all other central government investment decisions, including where changes in tax may make a material difference to the decision.

Credit Unions: Financial Services Compensation Scheme

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many credit unions were subject to intervention by the financial services compensation scheme to protect savers in 2016.

Stephen Barclay: The Financial Services Compensation Scheme publishes details of interventions it has undertaken to protect depositors, which can be found on the fscs.org.uk website. The Scheme announced that it had protected the savings of members in five credit unions which entered default in 2016.

Treasury: Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of his Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions in the 2017-18 Session to date have referred to the information requested not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally.

Andrew Jones: Out of a total of 1796 parliamentary questions answered by Treasury ministers during the current session, 17 have been responded to stating that that the requested information was not collected or collated centrally.

Banks: Cardiff North

Anna McMorrin: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many bank branch closures there have been in Cardiff North constituency in the last 10 years.

Anna McMorrin: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to encourage banks to engage with customers and stakeholders before the 12-week minimum standards in the event of proposed bank branch closures.

Anna McMorrin: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of bank branch closures in communities with lower population density and higher elderly populations.

Anna McMorrin: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the social effects of bank branch closures on lower-income communities.

Stephen Barclay: The Treasury does not collect data relating to bank branch closures.While the decision to close a branch remains a commercial judgement for banks, the impact on communities must be understood, considered and mitigated where possible. The industry’s Access to Banking Standard, launched in May 2017, commits banks to inform customers and stakeholders of the decision to close a branch as soon as the bank is operationally ready to do so. Banks must provide a minimum of 12 weeks’ notice but are free to provide more. RBS, for example, generally provides 6 months’ notice. The Access to Banking Standard also ensures customers understand the options they have locally to continue to access banking services, including specialist assistance for customers who need more help. Banks’ obligations under the Access to Banking Standard are monitored and enforced by the independent Lending Standards Board. 99% of banks’ personal and 95% of banks’ business customers are now able to withdraw cash, deposit cash and cheques, and make balance enquiries at a Post Office counter via its network of 11,600 branches. At Autumn Budget 2017, I wrote to the Post Office and UK Finance to ask them to raise public awareness of the banking services available at the Post Office for individuals and SMEs. Government will have provided nearly £2 billion during the period 2011 to 2018 to maintain and modernise the Post Office network, and has recently announced an additional £370 million of funding for the period 2018-2021.

Gambling

Alex Sobel: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of prohibiting the marketing, distribution or sale of binary options to retail clients.

Stephen Barclay: The government has not made an assessment. The government has legislated to transfer responsibility for the regulation of binary options from the Gambling Commission to the Financial Conduct Authority from 3 January 2018. The FCA recently warned investors about the risks of investing in binary options. The European Securities and Markets Authority have recently announced that they are considering measures to prohibit the marketing, distribution or sale of binary options to retail clients in the EU to address the significant risks to investors associated with this product. As the independent regulator, the FCA have indicated that they are supportive of ESMA’s proposals.

Prime Minister

British Irish Council

Layla Moran: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2017 to Question 117199, what reports the Prime Minister receives from the delegate who attends a British-Irish Council on behalf of the Government following each meeting.

Mrs Theresa May: Conclusions of the meetings are published on the British-Irish Council website.

British Irish Council

Layla Moran: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2017 to Question 117199, if she will make it her policy to attend a meeting of the British-Irish Council when other heads of Government of the UK and the Republic of Ireland are in attendance.

Layla Moran: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2017 to Question 117199, for what reasons a Prime Minister has not attended a meeting of the British-Irish Council since 2007.

Mrs Theresa May: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 1 December 2017, UIN 115271.

Disability: Employment

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to her oral contribution of 14 December 2017, Official Report, column 398, in what format she was briefed on the content of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s oral evidence to the Treasury Committee of 6 December 2017.

Mrs Theresa May: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member.

Prime Ministers: Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Prime Minister, how many and what proportion of her Office's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions in the 2017-18 Session to date have referred to the information requested not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally.

Mrs Theresa May: My answers to Written Parliamentary Questions can be found in the Official Report.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Deductions

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the maximum amount is which can be deducted for other debts and overpayments from universal credit payments.

Damian Hinds: Universal Credit is made up of a standard allowance plus any additional amounts that apply, for example for housing or a child. The overall maximum amount that can be deducted for debt repayments from a claimant’s Universal Credit each month is an amount equal to 40 per cent of their Universal Credit standard allowance. Where requested deductions exceed the 40 per cent maximum, or there is insufficient Universal Credit in payment for all deductions to be made, a priority order is applied, which determines the order in which items should be deducted. ‘Last resort’ deductions, such as rent or fuel costs, are towards the top of the priority order, ensuring that claimant welfare is prioritised, followed by social obligation deductions, such as fines and child maintenance, and finally benefit debt, such as Social Fund loans and benefit overpayments. There are two exceptions to the overall maximum deduction rate. The first is deductions for current consumption of gas, electricity and water, which do not count towards the overall maximum amount. The second is where a Fraud Penalty or Conditionality Sanction is being applied or an Advance needs recovering. A penalty or sanction takes precedence and an Advance will be recovered once the penalty or sanction has ceased. This is unless the penalty or sanction results in less than the maximum 40% deduction being taken, in which case other deductions (e.g. the Advance) can be taken up to the 40% maximum. ‘Last resort deductions’ (arrears of mortgage interest, rent, service charges, gas or electricity) continue to be taken, even if it means that more than 40 per cent is deducted. This is to protect vulnerable claimants from being made homeless or having their fuel disconnected.

Universal Credit: Rents

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of universal credit users in rental arrears of (a) one month, (b) three months and (c) greater than three months.

Damian Hinds: This information is not available.

Personal Independence Payment: Blood Diseases

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with Atos on making improvements to how that provider conducts personal independence payment assessments for people with a haematological disease; and what steps that provider is taking to improve such assessments.

Sarah Newton: We meet regularly with PIP Assessment Providers to discuss all aspects of their delivery of PIP assessments, including ensuring it works effectively for people with long-term health conditions or disabilities. PIP is a functional assessment, and addresses the impact of an individual’s medical conditions on their daily life, rather than the medical conditions themselves. There is no requirement for the Health Professional to diagnose a condition or to recommend treatment options. The assessments are undertaken by qualified Health Professionals who are experts in disability analysis with knowledge of the likely functional effects of a wide range of health conditions. Health Professionals have access to a range of resources as well as experienced clinicians to support them in assessing claimants. Independent Assessment Services regularly engage with representative groups for clinical conditions and have recently updated their range of condition insight reports and are working to expand this guidance to cover additional topics.

Personal Independence Payment: Infectious Diseases

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with Capita on making improvements to how that provider conducts personal independence payment assessments for people with an infectious disease; and what steps that provider is taking to improve such assessments.

Sarah Newton: We meet regularly with PIP Assessment Providers to discuss all aspects of their delivery of PIP assessments, including ensuring it works effectively for people with long-term health conditions or disabilities. PIP is a functional assessment, and addresses the impact of an individual’s medical conditions on their daily life, rather than the medical conditions themselves. There is no requirement for the Health Professional to diagnose a condition or to recommend treatment options. The assessments are undertaken by qualified Health Professionals who are experts in disability analysis with knowledge of the likely functional effects of a wide range of health conditions. Health Professionals have access to a range of resources as well as experienced clinicians to support them in assessing claimants. Independent Assessment Services regularly engage with representative groups for clinical conditions and have recently updated their range of condition insight reports and are working to expand this guidance to cover additional topics.

Employment and Support Allowance: Skin Diseases

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with Maximus on making improvements to how that provider conducts employment and support allowance assessments for people with a skin disease; and what steps that provider is taking to improve such assessments.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with Maximus on making improvements to how that provider conducts employment and support allowance assessments for people with a musculoskeletal disease; and what steps that provider is taking to improve such assessments.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with Maximus on making improvements to how that provider conducts employment and support allowance assessments for people with an injury; and what steps that provider is taking to improve such assessments.

Sarah Newton: I will personally be meeting with Maximus in the New Year but the department regularly meets with the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments (CHDA) to discuss all aspects of their delivery of Work Capability Assessments, including ensuring it works effectively for people with all types of health conditions and disabilities. The Department expects CHDA to continuously seek out opportunities to improve the service they provide and to identify how to improve the customer journey. Since CHDA took over the contract to carry out assessments in March 2015, they have made a number of improvements to claimants’ experience of assessments, including increasing the number of Healthcare Professionals by over 60% and opening new assessment rooms so they can see more people in more locations. CHDA have also introduced a number of claimant-focused improvements, including: establishing a Customer Representative Group with leading charities who have regular meetings with the clinical leadership team from CHDA;producing videos for their website showing claimants exactly what to expect when they have an assessment;introducing disability awareness training for clinical and administrative staff (carried out by Disability Rights UK);introducing a customer charter that commits to treating all of their customers with professionalism, dignity and respect;introducing a telephone support service to help claimants complete their ESA50/UC50 questionnaire, including advising about the types of evidence that are useful; andincreasing the number of mental health champions in place.

Personal Independence Payment

Craig Tracey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Memo ADM 30/17, whether previously unsuccessful personal independence payments claimants who had their claims refused after 9 March 2017 will have their claim reviewed according to a (a) LEAP exercise, (b) full case review or (c) any other review.

Sarah Newton: In order to ensure that claimants’ award decisions take into account the changes to the term ‘safely’ and how we consider risk of harm, we will review all previous decisions dating back to 9th March 2017. As referred to by the Memo Advice for Decision Making 30/17, this will be delivered by carrying out a Legal Entitlements and Administrative Practice exercise. This will include both existing claimants who may benefit and those who have previously been assessed as ineligible for PIP since the date of the judgment.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Craig Tracey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what appeals process is available to personal independence payment claimants whose claims are subject to review under the personal independence payment assessment guidance set out in the Written Statement of 2 November 2017, HCWS218.

Sarah Newton: We will be undertaking a Legal Entitlement Administrative Procedure (LEAP) to ensure claimants’ awards are updated in line with a recent Upper Tribunal judgment around the term ‘safely’. This is a complex exercise which we need to get right and we are committed to ensuring this process is fair to all. Claimants will be notified of appeal rights in accordance with applicable statutory requirements.

Universal Credit: Housing

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how information on a tenant's rent arrears against housing payments are provided to social landlords within the transaction information entered in the universal credit landlords' portal.

Damian Hinds: The Landlord portal is designed for a landlord to verify housing costs and apply for an Alternative Payment Arrangement. The landlord portal does not include functionality to track pre-existing and/or arrears levels. The Social Rented Sector landlord is responsible alongside the claimant for managing their rent account. The Social Rented Sector landlord must maintain responsibility for the management of the tenants’ rent accounts as there are various reasons beyond the control of DWP that may impact arrears increasing or decreasing. For example, a tenant may choose to pay the landlord directly to reduce rent arrears. DWP would not be aware of this, making it impossible and impracticable to manage and track this type of rent arrear.

Universal Credit: Lone Parents

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate has made of the number of single parent households who will be in receipt of universal credit when it is rolled out in (a) the UK,  (b) London (c) London Borough of Ealing and (d) Ealing Central and Acton constituency.

Damian Hinds: The Department estimates there will be around 2.1 million single parent households in receipt of Universal Credit when it is rolled out in Great Britain. The rest of the information requested is not available.

Social Security Benefits: Lone Parents

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to issue guidance to single parents on their (a) rights and (b) entitlements in respect of (i) universal credit and (ii) other benefits.

Damian Hinds: The Government’s website, gov.uk, provides guidance on individual’s rights and entitlements to benefits in the UK, including single parents. In particular, the website provides links to independent benefits calculators that can be used to find out what benefits an individual could get, how to claim and how these benefits will be affected if an individual starts work. For single parents claiming Jobseekers Allowance there is also a Lone Parents factsheet available on gov.uk which, amongst other things, explains the flexibilities that may be available to them.

Universal Credit: Lone Parents

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of notices of entitlement to advance payments of universal credit for single parents.

Damian Hinds: DWP has taken steps to ensure that all Universal Credit claimants are aware of the availability of advances, including single parents. We have recently refreshed our guidance to work coaches and service centre agents, which makes it clear that all claimants should be made aware of advances, and made aware of their maximum entitlement and maximum repayment period. In addition we have recently introduced posters and leaflets in Jobcentres to further raise awareness. From Spring 2018, claimants will also be able to apply for an advance online, making it even easier for claimants to receive the support they need. It is important that claimants are supported until their first payment, and according to recent published data around half of new claims take up advances. This shows that people are aware of this support and are getting the help that they need.

Universal Credit: Lone Parents

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of universal credit on encouraging single parents into employment.

Damian Hinds: Universal Credit is designed to strengthen incentives for parents to move into and progress in work and evidence shows that under Universal Credit claimants move into work significantly faster and spend more time looking for work than under the old system. Unlike Tax Credits, where people were often limited as to the number of hours they could work, Universal Credit entitlement is calculated according to income instead of the number of hours worked. Applying the single taper rate in this way ensures that support reduces gradually as a claimant’s earnings increase, giving people a clear incentive to increase their hours. Parents can also receive a work allowance which lets them keep more of the money that they earn. In addition, Universal Credit now provides for 85% of childcare costs giving parents the opportunity to work and earn more, so they can support their families.

Universal Credit: Lone Parents

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of universal credit on the ability of single parents' to remain in employment.

Damian Hinds: Universal Credit is designed to strengthen incentives for parents to move into and progress in work and evidence shows that under Universal Credit claimants move into work significantly faster and spend more time looking for work than under the old system. Unlike Tax Credits, where people were often limited as to the number of hours they could work, Universal Credit entitlement is calculated according to income instead of the number of hours worked. Applying the single taper rate in this way ensures that support reduces gradually as a claimant’s earnings increase, giving people a clear incentive to increase their hours. Parents can also receive a work allowance which lets them keep more of the money that they earn. In addition, Universal Credit now provides for 85% of childcare costs giving parents the opportunity to work and earn more, so they can support their families.

Universal Credit: Telephone Services

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the accessibility of the universal credit helpline for people who work between 8am and 6pm.

Damian Hinds: The Universal Credit Full Service is expanding with 235 Jobcentres and 25 Service Centres live by the end of December 2017. All customers have an on-line account, on-line statement and journal for interacting with their dedicated Case Manager and Work Coach. New claims and changes of circumstance are reported on-line in the vast majority of all cases. As previously announced, Universal Credit freephone numbers were implemented from the end of November 2017. We are keen to resolve all enquiries from our customers at the point of contact, whether that be face-to-face, on-line, or on the phone. The Freephone lines are available 50 hours a week, which should mean Universal Credit claimants in full-time work have the scope to make a call. The percentage of calls being received as a proportion of our total caseload has been steadily falling this year, as customers interact more on-line. Every week we match the required capacity and resources to our telephony forecast to ensure we meet demand and deliver a good service across our channels. This capacity is organised to scale up in line with new claims as the service expands further to ensure good customer service and experience.

Personal Independence Payment: Epilepsy

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to table 8D of the Personal Independence Payment: DLA to PIP reassessment outcomes, October 2017, what steps his Department is taking to address the disproportionate number of people with epilepsy who have seen their awards refused or reduced during the transition to personal independence payments; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Newton: In line with our existing programme of continuous improvement we have recently made changes to the PIP Assessment Guide in relation to safety and supervision which may impact on those with conditions which affect consciousness such as epilepsy. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is more modern, dynamic and fair than its predecessor, Disability Living Allowance (DLA), and focuses support on those experiencing the greatest barriers to living independently. As PIP is a different benefit to DLA with different assessment criteria, we would expect to see some variation between outcomes for different disabling conditions. Additionally, many DLA claimants have not undergone any kind of assessment of their needs for several years and their condition, treatment or therapy and needs arising from their condition may have changed substantially.

Department for Work and Pensions: ICT

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions,  what steps his Department is taking to implement the guidance set out by the Government Commercial Function in its paper entitled Exiting Major IT Contracts: Guidance for Departments, published in November 2017, in respect of (a) using market engagement, (b) setting up disaggregation work, (c) risk assessment, (d) developing a programme plan through the transition, (e) identifying the skills and capabilities that will be needed in the future and (f) any other work related to that guidance.

Caroline Dinenage: DWP is delivering a number of major IT contract exit programmes, and has followed the guidance detailed in the paper titles Large Expiring Contracts, Exit and Disaggregation: guidance for departments which precedes the paper entitled Exiting Major IT Contracts: Guidance for Departments, published in November 2017, which is currently being reviewed by DWP, prior to implementation. DWP engages with Cabinet Office Complex Transactions Team from the outset, when exiting major IT contracts to utilise their knowledge and experience in defining, and implementing commercial strategies. These commercial strategies include all the points in a) to f) above and some recent examples are as follows; a) DWP utilises Crown Commercial Service Frameworks when sourcing disaggregated IT services. The market is engaged to establish supplier capacity, capability and alignment to DWPs key business objectives.b) DWP has disaggregated a number of IT supply contracts in recent years, is currently in the process of disaggregating the complex services of the DWP Hosting contract and will exit and disaggregate its remaining Application Deployment & Desktop contracts at an appropriate time.c) Risk Assessment forms part of DWPs Contract Management Framework toolset and is assessed for all major contracts on a regular basis.d) Detailed plans are produced and managed by Programme Leads for the exiting of all major IT contracts.e) In conjunction with the work DWP is completing to disaggregate its historic contracts, DWP is further developing its supplier and contract management capabilities to equip the Department for the future; enhancing its major IT project delivery and contract exit commercial skills.f) DWP utilises multi-disciplinary teams including Digital Group, Finance, HR, Legal and Commercial. Good programme governance is also followed both within DWP and through close working with HM Treasury and Cabinet Office. DWP will continue to follow the guiding principles and critical tasks set out in this latest publication.

Government Departments: Disability

Andrew Lewer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to ensure that that all Government Departments are committed to the Disability Confident initiative; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Newton: All main government departments have signed up to Disability Confident and have progressed through the levels, achieving Disability Confident Leader (Level 3) status. This has included having their evidence externally validated by an independent organisation. DWP is now working closely with these departments to ensure that all agencies and arms-length bodies are also signed up to the scheme and working to Disability Confident principles.

Personal Independence Payment

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Memo ADM 30/17 paragraph 7, what evidence is used to inform a LEAP exercise review of a claimant's Personal Independence Payment award.

Sarah Newton: We will use existing evidence that we hold for claimants. Where this is insufficient, we will seek further evidence.

Universal Credit

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether some universal credit claimants are being required to attend in-person appointments to reset their universal credit login details; and if he will ensure that all universal credit claimants are able to amend their account details using online portals.

Damian Hinds: Currently, Universal Credit requires claimants to attend the Jobcentre for a face to face interview to reset their Universal Credit login in details. We plan to automate this process in the very near future.

Work Capability Assessment: Standards

Luke Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to ensure higher standards of service and stricter key performance indicators to improve performance when the contract for work capability assessments is up for renewal in 2018.

Sarah Newton: The contract for the delivery of Work Capability Assessments expires in February 2020. As part of the two year extension agreement, we have agreed higher standards of service and improved Key Performance Indicators. During the remaining term of our current contract both the Department and our supplier will continue its drive for continuous contractual performance improvement and even higher standards. We will review our future requirements as part of our preparations for re-contracting.

Jobcentres: Southall

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the date is for the proposed outreach provision to be operational after the proposed closure of Southall Jobcentre on 26 January 2018; what the staffing requirement for that provision will be; and how and when service users will be notified of the date for that provision to be operational and how to access that provision.

Damian Hinds: We have formally agreed that an outreach provision will be available from the Dominion Centre site in Southall and are confident that it will be in place by 26 January when Southall Jobcentre closes. This outreach provision may be available prior to the closure of Southall Jobcentre if the detailed arrangements are concluded earlier than expected. The outreach service will be available 9am-5pm Monday to Friday. We anticipate being able to base between two and four members of staff at the site. Existing customers will be notified about the outreach provision by Work Coaches at face-to-face interviews before the Southall Jobcentre closure date. Customers will also be handed a written notification about their new jobcentre and the new outreach provision. Information about the new outreach facility will also be shared through our local partnership network. Posters about the closure of Southall Jobcentre and the new outreach provision, will be displayed in Southall Jobcentre, as soon as the opening date of the new outreach provision is finalised. We expect this to take place within the first two weeks of January.

Industrial Health and Safety and Productivity

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the safety, health and productivity of workplaces in the UK are maintained after the UK leaves the EU.

Sarah Newton: The Government has given a very clear commitment to protect workers’ rights as the United Kingdom leaves the European Union. This includes health and safety in the workplace. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 has led to the United Kingdom having one of the best records on health and safety at work in the world. We see no reason why this should change as the country leaves the EU. The Government’s ambitious and modern Industrial Strategy sets out a long-term plan that will enable the UK to work more productively and boost the earning power of people, businesses, places and the nation as a whole.

Department for Work and Pensions: Incentives

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will set out the total sum disbursed on bonuses to staff in his Department in 2017.

Caroline Dinenage: DWP currently operates a number of award schemes; end of year performance awards and in-year reward and recognition. A total of £41.8m, which is less than 2% of the overall DWP annual pay bill, has been paid between January 2017 and November 2017, this breaks down as follows: £37.4m - End of Year Performance Awards.£4.4m – In Year Reward and Recognition

Social Security Benefits: Medical Records

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants' medical documents submitted to his Department are known to be missing which relate to claims for (a) employment support allowance, (b)  personal independence payment, (c) universal credit work capability assessments and (d) disability living allowance.

Sarah Newton: DWP does not record the number of medical documents reported as missing which relate to claims for benefits.

Universal Credit: Disqualification

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many in-work claimants have experienced a (a) sanction and (b) suspension of their universal credit claim by length of sanction and suspension in each of the last 12 months.

Damian Hinds: Universal Credit provides us with the opportunity to support people to progress, and we are building the evidence about what works, most substantially through a large-scale Randomised Control Trial (RCT). This trial tests different degrees of in-work support and conditionality by supporting people to progress by providing work coach support and setting mandatory requirements to make sure that individuals take reasonable action that should help them to earn more where appropriate.  The following link provides figures for the data collected so far on sanctions for in work claimants. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/in-work-progression-trial-update-april-2015-to-october-2016 This showed that up to November 2016, 319 sanctions had been applied to 15,455 trial participants, approximately 2%. Further statistical information regarding the number of sanctions and suspensions for in-work claimants within the randomised control trial cannot be provided until they are published in summer 2018.

Unemployed People: Families

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to implement its report, Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families, published in April 2017.

Caroline Dinenage: Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families sets out a framework for improving outcomes for disadvantaged children, now and in the future. The Department for Work and Pensions continues to work with key stakeholders and with other departments to take forward the four policies set out in the paper and has made good progress. Public Health England will, for example, run a trial of the Individual Placement and Support approach, starting in spring 2018, and our vital work on reducing parental conflict is boosted by the Chancellor’s budget announcement to increase available funds up to £39m until 2021.

Universal Credit: Prescriptions

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will ensure that a box is ticked on universal credit statements and assessment pages to show whether or not the claimant is eligible for free prescriptions during the period in question.

Damian Hinds: We are enhancing claimant statements with key messages and support, in response to user research. This will include indicating claimants’ entitlement to other support.

Universal Credit: Disqualification

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of (a) universal credit, (b) jobseeker's allowance and (c) employment and support allowance claimants have had a (i) sanction or (ii) suspension on their claim in the most recent 12 month period for which data is available.

Damian Hinds: The latest available information on proportion of Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance claimants receiving less benefit because they were sanctioned up to June 2017 is published and available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-sanctions-statistics-2017 Information on the proportion of these benefit claimants who have had their benefit suspended for other reasons is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many individuals received Support for Mortgage Interest in each of the last five years.

Caroline Dinenage: Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) expenditure and caseload estimates are provided in DWP Benefit expenditure and caseload tables. The table below shows the estimated SMI caseload in the last 5 years: 2013/142014/152015/162016/172017/18178,000159,000136,000128,000124,000

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what functions Serco has been contracted to perform to support the new loan system for the Support for Mortgage Interest scheme from 5 April 2018.

Caroline Dinenage: Serco have been contracted through an open competitive tendering exercise to deliver information provision to Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) customers who are in receipt of Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI). This provision takes the form of a telephony based Informed Discussion to ensure customers are fully aware about the upcoming change and the options available to them. At the end of the call customers are offered a loan application pack to complete and send back to the DWP. The service explicitly does not provide advice but does signpost to other organisations that can help customers who may need assistance on reaching a decision. SMI loans will be paid by the Department in the same way as the SMI benefit is now. The registration of charges on the property and recovery arrangements will be delivered by the Department.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much Support for Mortgage Interest has been paid in each of the last five years; and what the maximum individual payment is in any single year.

Caroline Dinenage: Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) expenditure and caseload estimates are provided in DWP Benefit expenditure and caseload tables. The table below shows the estimated expenditure on SMI in the last 5 years: 2013/142014/152015/162016/172017/18£287m£256m£240m£209m£205m The maximum individual payment of SMI over the course of a year is currently £6,240. Within the last 5 years it has been £7,260 (2014/15) in a year.

Social Security Benefits: Bradford

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in Bradford will be affected by the benefit cap following the recent welfare payment uprating.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children live in households that will be affected by the benefit cap after the recent welfare payment uprating.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department assessed the number of households that would be affected by the benefit cap after the most recent welfare payment uprating before it made that uprating.

Caroline Dinenage: The eligible benefits which are considered when calculating whether an individual has their benefit capped are frozen for 2018/2019. As such no additional households will be brought into scope of the cap through benefit uprating. Statistics on the number of households capped, including those with children, can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/benefit-cap-statistics

Universal Credit

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2017 to Question 117837, what estimate his Department has made of the average length of time it takes from a new applicant for universal credit beginning their application and at the point at which their date of entitlement for that credit is triggered.

Damian Hinds: Universal Credit entitlement starts from first contact, assuming the claim is followed through within a month.

Local Government: Disclosure of Information

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2017 to Question 118243, on Travellers: children, what formal process his Department has in place for local authorities to make requests for the sharing of personal data where the welfare or safeguarding of (a) children and (b) other vulnerable people is concerned.

Caroline Dinenage: DWP staff are empowered by DWP policy and relevant legislation to take any reasonable steps necessary to address risk to a child or vulnerable adult. Such risks include (but the list is not exhaustive) injury, ill treatment, neglect, physical or sexual abuse and exploitation. DWP offices have reciprocal points of contact with local authorities in their area. Where an issue arises that gives cause for concern about a child or a vulnerable adult, a proactive disclosure or response to a request will be made by an appropriate officer, subject to departmental guidance. Information provided will be factual and directly relevant to the issue of concern.

Unemployed People: Families

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of the 3 November 2017 to Question 110631, what steps the Government is taking to deliver the framework set out in Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families, published in April 2017.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department for Work and Pensions is working with a range of key stakeholders and with other Departments to take forward the framework we set out in Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families. We are making progress on delivering its objectives. For example, Public Health England will run a trial of the Individual Placement and Support approach, starting in spring 2018. And our vital work on reducing parental conflict is boosted by the Chancellor’s budget announcement to increase available funds up to £39m until 2021. As part of this work, we also published two delivery tools – a local data report and a Family Evidence Resource – to enable local commissioners and practitioners working with families and children to understand and act on the factors of disadvantage in their local area. We continue to engage with local authorities and others to test, refine and promote these resources. In addition to our statutory duty to publish annual data on the statutory indicators of parental worklessness and children’s educational achievement, we will also publish the latest data on the non-statutory indicators each year, in line with the commitment set out in Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families.

Local Housing Allowance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2017 to Question 111137, on local housing allowance, if he will make such an assessment.

Caroline Dinenage: We have no plans to make such an assessment.

Employment and Support Allowance: Scotland

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 14 December 2017, HCWS356, on employment and support allowance, how many of the 75,000 individuals who were identified as having been underpaid were resident in Scotland at the time of their reassessment for that allowance.

Sarah Newton: The information requested is not readily available.

Employment and Support Allowance: Underpayments

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 14 December 2017, HCWS356, on employment and support allowance, what the average amount is by which the 75,000 individuals identified have been underpaid.

Sarah Newton: Arrears of around £400m to be paid in 2018/19 were included in the Autumn Budget 2017. It would be inappropriate to give an average amount as the amount of individual underpayments could vary substantially.

Employment and Support Allowance: Underpayments

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 14 December 2017, HCWS356, on employment and support allowance, whether the payments in arrears will be up-rated in line with current inflation.

Sarah Newton: The appropriate arrears will be calculated in the normal way and in accordance with our legal obligations.

Graduates: Learning Disability

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measures are in place to provide support to students with learning difficulties after they leave full-time education.

Sarah Newton: The Government is strongly committed to increasing opportunities for people with learning difficulties or learning disabilities. Taking a life course approach, we are working across Government and with local authorities, voluntary organisations and employers in the public and private sectors to achieve this. Examples of measures include: Local authorities have a statutory duty to prepare all children and young people with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan for adulthood. From year 9 onwards the four Preparation for Adulthood outcomes (employment, health, independent living and friends, relationships and community) must be included in the EHC plan annual review. A young person must not leave education without all four outcomes being carefully reviewed to support transition into adult life. The Government is funding specialist training for careers advisers working with young people who have special educational needs and disabilities. We are also funding training and materials for post-16 providers on curriculum design and delivery, including pathways to employment for these young people. The National Careers Service is delivering positive outcomes for people from all backgrounds and customers with a disability are included in the Service’s priority groups. In the past year the Service has seen over 90,000 customers with a disability or learning difficulty. In 2016-17 more than 20% of customers declared that they had a learning difficulty and/or disability (source: Ipsos MORI). In 2016/17, over 500 young people took part in Supported Internships, which are aimed at those with EHC plans. On 30 November 2017, the Department for Education announced a further £9.7 million funding in 2017-18 to establish local supported internship forums, which will create work placements for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Access to Work can be used to fund support from a specialist job coach for individuals undertaking supported internships. The Department for Education (DfE) has set a measure of success for a 20% increase in the proportion of apprenticeship starts by people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities by 2020. To support this, it has introduced legislation to adjust the minimum English and maths requirements for apprenticeships for a defined group of people with a learning difficulty or disability to entry level 3. 200 Community Partners are being recruited to Jobcentre Plus, to enhance the services Jobcentres provide to people with a disability or health condition. Community Partners have a lived experience or expert knowledge of disability and provide valuable insight into how disability can effect an individual’s employment outcomes, both in terms of securing and sustaining employment. Many of the Community Partners will have a specialism and 11 will be specialists in learning disabilities and neurodiverse conditions. A Local Supported Employment Proof of Concept is being delivered with 9 local authorities. DWP is investing £2.7 million to test an approach which delivers Supported Employment, on an outcome-payment basis, to help people with a learning disability or learning difficulties who are known to adult social care, or those in contact with secondary mental health services. On Thursday 30 November 2017 we published ‘Improving Lives the Future of Work, Health and Disability’, which sets out details of our lifecourse approach to improving employment opportunities for people with learning difficulties or learning disabilities.

Access to Work Programme: Learning Disability

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with learning difficulties have been supported through the Access to Work scheme in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017.

Sarah Newton: A breakdown of the number of people who have had Access to Work provision approved by financial year and recorded primary medical condition can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/access-to-work-statistics The following special points should be noted: This is a Type 1 question and response because the statistics requested have already been published. For more information see:http://wss-fs.link2.gpn.gov.uk/sites/pcd/orwiki/AC intranet/Statisticians/PQ_Guidance_jan_2014.doc

Children: Day Care

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 18 of the written evidence submitted by Gingerbread to the Work and Pensions Committee, UCR0106, what assessment he has made of the effect of the requirement to produce official receipts for childcare on the time taken for reimbursement.

Damian Hinds: In Universal Credit Full Service, claimants are responsible for supplying evidence of any childcare costs. Some cases will not need monthly verification and will be automatically accepted after being declared. In these cases claimants will not need to supply any evidence, unless there is a change or concerns over validity.

Children: Day Care

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 19 of the written evidence submitted by Gingerbread to the Work and Pensions Committee, UCR0106, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of knowledge of the Universal Credit childcare offer among DWP work coaches.

Damian Hinds: Work coaches and case managers receive a blend of face-to-face and online learning, which focuses on the technical delivery of Universal Credit, the transformational change, as well as consolidation of their training post-completion.All work coaches receive specialist training on childcare in Universal Credit Full Service as part of this learning journey, which is designed to support them in the delivery of the service.This training, with the aid of the Universal Credit Full Service Guidance, enables work coaches and case managers to:state when a claimant is eligible to claim childcare costscheck if a childcare provider is registeredrecord childcare provider details on the Training Serviceverify childcare costsclerically calculate child care costs paid in advancestate the time limits for providing evidencestate what reasonable usage isFurthermore, the Universal Credit Full Service has a training feature that allows our staff to experience the system before their site goes live with the Full Service.

Personal Independence Payment

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his observations on the public petition entitled PIP Assessment Criteria and Process of 21 November 2017, what timescale his Department proposes for the development of video content for PIP claimants which sets out the (a) claim process and (b) responsibilities of the claimant to provide supporting information with their claim.

Sarah Newton: The Government response to the second independent review of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment, published on 18 December 2017, agreed with the recommendation that claimants should be given a clear explanation of their responsibilities and what information they should provide with their claim. It further set out that we will develop video content for PIP claimants, outlining the claim process and setting out the responsibilities of the claimant to provide supporting information with their claim. A series of four short videos are currently in development which will explain the PIP customer journey. The videos focus on the key stages of pre-claim, making a claim, providing supporting information and the PIP decision, and we aim to have them available to claimants in early 2018.

Work and Health Programme: Disability

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to (a) encourage disabled people to apply to become Community Partners for Jobcentre Plus under the Work and Health Programme and (b) ensure that the recruitment process will include panel members who have a lived experience of disability.

Damian Hinds: The Department has already in place recruitment processes to attract Community Partners as part of the Enhanced Support Offer, as announced in the Improving Lives: The Work, Health and Disability Green Paper (published October 2016). The Department has and continues to pursue direct secondments from representative organisations, covering the whole range of disabilities. The Department has also and continues to pursue open recruitment, and it is a standard requirement of the recruitment panels that they have knowledge of or lived experience of disability issues.

Department for Work and Pensions: Social Mobility

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to improve social mobility in each of the last seven years.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department for Work and Pensions aims to contribute to improving social mobility by running an affordable and sustainable welfare system that is extending opportunity and promoting personal responsibility to help people transform their lives. The actions taken by the Department in each of the last seven years are set out in its annual reports.

Universal Credit: Young People

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Departments policy is on the continued payment of universal credit element for young people still in full time, non-advanced education when they reach the age of 19.

Damian Hinds: Universal Credit provides support for young people aged 16-19 in full-time non-advanced education or approved training, through the additional payments that their parents receive. These payments can continue until 31st August following the young person’s 19th birthday, which aligns with the academic year and allows most young people, still in education or training under age 20, to finish their course. In effect, these young people will be supported under their parents’ Universal Credit claim until they are able to claim in their own right, generally at age 18, if they meet the conditions of entitlement.

Jobcentres: Glasgow

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2017 to Question 8070, when he plans to publish an estimate of the savings to the public purse which will accrue from the proposed closure of Parkhead Jobcentre.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2017 to Question 8071, when he plans to publish an estimate of the savings to the public purse which will accrue from the proposed closure of Easterhouse Jobcentre.

Damian Hinds: There are no plans to publish estimates of savings which will accrue from proposed closures of individual Jobcentres. Estimated savings in the form of baseline running costs for each of these sites are included in the overall estimated savings for the DWP estates programme of circa £140m per annum.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints relating to women born in the 1950s and affected by changes in state pension age have been fully reviewed by the Independent Case Examiner's Office.

Caroline Dinenage: As at 20 December 2017, the Independent Case Examiner Office had fully reviewed and concluded 12 investigations into complaints from women born in the 1950s and affected by changes in the state pension retirement age.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2017 to Question 109823, how many leaflets were (a) printed and (b) distributed to members of the public.

Guy Opperman: The Department no longer holds this level of detail regarding the number of leaflets that were printed and distributed to members of public.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2017 to Question 109823, what methods of advertising were used as part of the advertising campaign.

Guy Opperman: Between 2001 and 2004 the Department ran a ‘pensions education’ communications campaign. This included press and direct marketing, and in particular included a direct mailing to women which included a printed card ‘reckoner’ titled ‘changes to the State Pension age for women’, allowing recipients to check their State Pension age based on their date of birth. However, due to the time elapsed, the Department no longer holds detailed records about the campaign.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints relating to women born in the 1950s who are affected by changes in state pension age are awaiting allocation to an investigation case manager at the Independent Case Examiner's Office.

Caroline Dinenage: As at 20 December 2017, the Independent Case Examiner’s Office had 1540 cases awaiting allocation to and investigation case manager.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, from what acceptance date the Independent Case Examiner's Office is allocating complaints to an investigation case manager.

Caroline Dinenage: As at 20 December 2017, the Independent Case Examiner’s Office is allocating cases to investigation case managers from the following dates: Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) - 6 October 2016.Contracted Provision (organisations delivering services on behalf of the DWP) – 6 October 2016.Child Maintenance Group – 9 January 2017.Women born in the 1950s affected by changes in state pension age – 21 March 2017.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the number of women affected by the Pensions Acts 1995 and 2011 in Cardiff North constituency.

Guy Opperman: Women born between 6 April 1950 and 5 April 1953 were affected by State Pension age equalisation under the Pensions Act 1995. The Pensions Act 2011 accelerated the equalisation of State Pension age, and included transitional arrangements limiting State Pension age delays, affecting women born between 6 April 1953 and 5 December 1953. It also brought forward the increase in State Pension age from 65 to 66 which affected women born between 6 December 1953 and 5 April 1960. Information on the numbers affected by parliamentary constituency is not held by the Department for Work and Pensions. However, the most recent population breakdowns for Wales and its parliamentary constituencies by age can be found here:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/parliamentaryconstituencymidyearpopulationestimates The House of Commons library has produced a paper estimating the number of women affected by the 1995 and 2011 Pensions Acts by constituency, which can be found here:http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7405/CBP-07405constituencyestimates.xlsx

Home Office

Forensic Science

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Written Ministerial Statement HCWS265 what category of offences is included within Priority One cases, and how many Priority One cases (a) are live cases, (b) involve people convicted but not sentenced,(c) involve people bailed in advance of trial or sentence and (d) involve convictions that resulted in a prison sentence.

Mr Nick Hurd: Priority one cases are not restricted to any categories of offences. They are live cases that are near or in trial including where the individuals: are in custody, Crown, Magistrates’ or Coroners’ Courts; have been convicted but not sentenced; have been bailed in advance of trial or sentence; or are in prison.The National Police Chiefs’ Council is leading a national plan in response to the impact on criminal and coroners’ cases, including the prioritisation and offence type. In the majority of these cases, the original samples remain available for independent retesting, which is being managed through a prioritisation process.

Immigration: Detainees

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost of unlawful detention claims paid by the Home Office has been in the last 12 months.

Brandon Lewis: We do not release in-year data ahead of the publication of our annual report and accounts until after the figures have been finalised, audited by the National Audit Office, and laid before Parliament.

British Nationality: Applications

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much income has been generated from citizenship applications and appeals in each of the last 10 years.

Brandon Lewis: Prior to FY2014/15 citizenship income were grouped under ‘Settlement and Nationality’. They were not reported separately. Figures from FY14/15 are listed below:• FY2016/17 £136.6m Income• FY2015/16 £127m Income• FY2014/15 £93m Income

Visas

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made on extending the special China visitor visa pilot scheme to include other nations; and if she will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: Since January 2016 the UK has offered a two-year validity visit visa to Chinese nationals for the same price as a six-month visa. This is a pilot scheme which we are running to assess the benefits and impacts of such an approach more broadly. There are currently no plans to extend this pilot to any other countries.

Domestic Violence

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to publish the draft bill on domestic violence and abuse.

Victoria Atkins: We are committed to consulting widely as we develop the proposals for the Bill. We are keen to hear from experts, including charities and service providers, and parliamentarians to understand their views and ensure that the voices of domestic abuse victims and survivors are heard. This will take place in the new year and will involve consultation events.As announced in the Queen’s speech, we will publish a draft Bill later this session, once we have thoroughly consulted with partners and analysed responses.

Home Office: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many data incidents her Department (a) recorded and (b) reported to the Information Commissioner's Office in (i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-17.

Victoria Atkins: The number of data incidents recorded by the Home Department and reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office, is as follows:YEARTOTAL INCIDENTS RECORDEDREPORTED TO ICO2015-166222016-17702

Home Office: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times her Department's Senior Information Risk Officer role has been vacant for a week or longer since 2012.

Victoria Atkins: The position has not been vacant for a week or longer since 2012

Immigration

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of allowing non-EEA nationals who were granted permanent residency under EEA Regulations but who are no longer family members of EEA nationals to switch to settled status.

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that non-EEA nationals who were granted permanent residency but who are no longer family members of EEA nationals can obtain settled status when the UK leaves the EU.

Brandon Lewis: The UK and European Commission agreement set out in the Joint Report published on 8 December 2017 protects EU and UK citizens and their family members who have exercised free movement rights by the time of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. Under the Free Movement Directive (2004/38/EC), once acquired, permanent residence is held on an individual basis and as such those who have been granted that status on the basis of their relationship with an EU citizen do not lose it if they cease to be a family member. Provided they are legally resident at the time of the UK’s withdrawal, such persons will be eligible to apply for settled status.The Government has been clear that we want to secure the same protections for non-EU EEA nationals (citizens of Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and Swiss nationals as soon as possible, on a reciprocal basis.

Offensive Weapons

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposals in the consultation on offensive and dangerous weapons, published in October 2017, to prohibit the private ownership of items on the offensive weapons list on people who currently possess such items; and what guidance her Department plans to issue to people on the legality of continued possession of such items.

Victoria Atkins: The Government’s consultation on new legislation on offensive and dangerous weapons closed on 9 December 2017. We are currently considering the responses and the Government will publish its response to the consultation in early 2018.

Corruption

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Foreign Secretary on the active enforcement of the OECD Anti Bribery Convention.

Mr Ben  Wallace: The UK has been recognised as a country which actively enforces the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (the “OECD Anti-Bribery Convention”).The UK Anti-Corruption Strategy was published on December 11 and contains a clear commitment to promote international implementation of the OECD Anti Bribery Convention, together with other international standards. The Joint Anti-Corruption Unit in the Home Office is working closely with the FCO, DFID, HMT and law enforcement agencies to this end.

Immigration

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has examined the Canadian Provincial Nominee Programme scheme as part of its policy planning for a new UK immigration system after the UK leaves the EU.

Brandon Lewis: The Prime Minister has proposed that there should be an Implementation Period immediately after the UK leaves the EU, while we and the EU put in place the necessary preparations for the future arrangements, and to ensure that people and businesses only have to plan for one set of changes. During this time, EU citizens will continue to be able to come and live and work in the UK, but there will be a registration systemThere is a wide range of options as to how EU migration might work after that Period. We are considering these options very carefully and we will take decisions based on evidence and the views of stakeholders. We will be setting out initial proposals for our future immigration arrangements shortly.

Immigration

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings she has had with Scottish Government Ministers on the Government's proposed reforms to the UK's immigration system after the UK leaves the EU.

Brandon Lewis: The Government is considering a range of options for the immigration system for EU citizens after the UK leaves the EU. Since the Referendum result last year, Ministers have been undertaking an extensive programme of engagement and evidence gathering with all interested parties including the Devolved Administrations, businesses, educational institutions and many others. Most recently, I discussed the recent agreement on citizens’ rights and next steps on the future immigration arrangements at the Joint Ministerial Committee (European Negotiations) on 12 December 2017. Home Office officials also have frequent meetings with their colleagues in the Devolved Administrations, including the Scottish Government.On 27 July, the Government commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee to advise on current patterns of EU migration across all sectors, and the role of migration in the wider economy and society. This will be an important element in our decisions about future immigration arrangements that work for all parts of the UK.

Immigration

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of reforming the immigration system with a view to increasing working age populations in regions where growth in that demographic has halted or is in decline; and if she will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: There is a wide range of options as to how EU migration might work we leave the EU. We are considering these options very carefully and we will take decisions based on evidence. As part of this, on 27 July, the Government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to gather evidence on patterns of EU migration and the role of migration in the wider economy, ahead of our exit from the EU. We have asked the MAC to report by September 2018 and flagged that interim reports throughout the period would be helpful as we develop future immigration arrangements that work for the whole of the UK.Immigration remains a reserved matter and we will consider the needs of the UK as a whole. Applying different immigration rules to different parts of the UK would complicate the immigration system, harming its integrity, and cause difficulties for employers who need the flexibility to deploy their staff to other parts of the UK.The Government will be setting out initial proposals for our future immigration arrangements shortly.

Immigration: Scotland

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which Scottish business sectors have made representations to her on immigration schemes for Scotland after the UK leaves the EU.

Brandon Lewis: The Government is considering a range of options for the immigration system for EU citizens after the UK leaves the EU. Since the Referendum result last year, Ministers have been undertaking an extensive programme of engagement and evidence gathering with all interested parties including the Devolved Administrations, businesses, educational institutions and many others. Most recently, I discussed the recent agreement on citizens’ rights and next steps on the future immigration arrangements at the Joint Ministerial Committee (European Negotiations) on 12 December 2017. Home Office officials also have frequent meetings with their colleagues in the Devolved Administrations, including the Scottish Government.On 27 July, the Government commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee to advise on current patterns of EU migration across all sectors, and the role of migration in the wider economy and society. This will be an important element in our decisions about future immigration arrangements that work for all parts of the UK.

UK Border Force: Recruitment

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2017 to Question 118324, for what reasons no reference was made to the evidential basis for the recruitment of an additional 300 Border Force officers.

Brandon Lewis: The Government has been clear that the 300 Border Force officers being recruited ahead of EU exit will undertake work to prepare the current workforce for any changes. This number will ensure a degree of additional operational coverage across regions, with the ability to flex to priority locations, to enable the existing workforce to be trained in new processes.This number is subject to review. Border Force monitors workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand and will continue to do so throughout negotiations and as the UK leaves the EU.

Home Office: ICT

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to implement the guidance set out by the Government Commercial Function in its paper entitled Exiting Major IT Contracts: Guidance for Departments, published in November 2017, in respect of (a) using market engagement, (b) setting up disaggregation work, (c) risk assessment, (d) developing a programme plan through the transition, (e) identifying the skills and capabilities that will be needed in the future and (f) any other work related to that guidance.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office is in the process of disaggregating its major IT contracts, and its work in this area provided a major contribution to the Government Commercial Function paper cited. Through disaggregation, we will be able to break up large, costly and cumbersome contracts and move to a more dynamic environment in which we procure standardised service components from the market while focusing on building strategic internal capabilities, such as around strategy, and architecture, and system design and integration. This will allow us to better manage our risk and control costs, also allows us to better use the pre-existing commercial frameworks and hence shorten our time to market and subsequent mobilisation, and allows us to more easily access the SME market.

Extradition: Scotland

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons section 50 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 has not been commenced in Scotland.

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timetable is for the commencement of section 50 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 in Scotland.

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Lord Advocate on the commencement of section 50 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 in Scotland.

Brandon Lewis: The Scottish Government has decided that it does not wish section 50 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 to be commenced in full in Scotland and there is no timetable for its commencement. This is a decision for the Scottish Government and there have been no recent discussions on the issue.

Children in Care: British Nationality

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Home Office, if she will make applications to register as a British citizen fee-exempt for looked-after children.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office has no plans to make applications to register looked-after children as British citizens free of charge.

Migrant Workers: EU Nationals

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to provide a clear path to settled status after the UK has exited the EU for EU workers who arrive during the implementation phase.

Brandon Lewis: In her speech on 22 September, the Prime Minister was clear that during the implementation period, people will continue to be able to come and live and work in the UK. There will, however, be a registration system, which will be an essential preparation for the new immigration systemThe timing and detail of the implementation period will be a matter for negotiations with the EU.

Immigrants: Detainees

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will take steps to ensure that all persons detained under immigration powers who claim to be stateless or whose nationality is unclear or disputed are advised in a language they understand of the possibility of applying to remain in the UK as a stateless person under Part 14 of the Immigration Rules.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will take steps to ensure that all persons detained under immigration powers who claim to be stateless or whose nationality is unclear or disputed can access free legal (a) advice on their eligibility to make an application under Part 14 of the Immigration Rules and (b) assistance to make such an application where there is merit in so doing.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office does not detain those who are stateless who cannot be removed to any other country.We will only detain persons where they can be removed within a reasonable timeframe and issues regarding statelessness or nationality disputes are considered in assessing whether detention is appropriate.The Government has no plans to provide detainees with advice on the possibility of applying to remain in the UK as a stateless person because those in detention are considered to be removable and as such admissible to another country for purposes of residence there.All detainees are made aware of their right to legal representation, and how they can obtain such representation, within 24 hours of their arrival at an immigration removal centre (IRC). The Legal Aid Agency operates legal advice surgeries across the detention estate in England, with detainees receiving up to 30 minutes of advice without reference to financial eligibility or merits of their case. There is no restriction on the number of surgeries a detainee may attend. If a detainee requires substantive advice on a matter which is in scope of legal aid then full legal advice can be provided.Detainees also have regulated access to the internet under the requirements set out in Detention Services Order DSO 04/2016 (Internet access). This enables them to independently identify contact details for immigration legal advisors and to make an application for Stateless Leave. Legal reference material is stocked in all IRC libraries and each IRC has a welfare officer who can signpost detainees to information on how to access legal advice.

Immigrants: Detainees

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will place a time limit of 28 days on immigration detention.

Brandon Lewis: The Government has no plans to introduce a fixed time limit on immigration detention as this would only encourage detainees to refuse to cooperate with immigration and asylum processes until they reached the point at which they had to be released from detention and thus avoid their enforced removal from the UK. Published Home Office policy is clear, however, that detention is only used for the shortest period necessary.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/offender-management

Visas: Applications

Laura Pidcock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse has been of processing visa applications which were rejected since 2010; and what the amount accruing to the public purse in fees charged to applicants for those visa applications was in that period.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office does not hold the information in the format requested. In order to provide the cost of processing only rejected visa applications, would involve sifting through all applications data which would exceed the £850 cost limitThe cost of processing visa applications varies by application type and these are set out in the published unit costs and fees table, which can be accessed via the link below:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/606616/Unit_cost_table_2017.Amount received from Visa applications are not differentiated between the various categories in which they are received. Our ledger will not allow us to provide this level of detail.

Home Office: Public Expenditure

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which fruitless payments in excess of £30,000 her Department has made by (a) recipient of each such payment, (b) purpose of each such payment, (c) value of each such payment and (d) reason that payment was classified as fruitless in the 2017-18 financial year to date.

Victoria Atkins: Figures for 2017-18 will be available once the Home Office’s Annual Report and Accounts are audited by the National Audit Office, and laid before Parliament.Here is the link for financial year 16/17 where information on previous losses and special payments can be found16-17 Page 88 –https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/627853/ho_annual_report_and_accounts_2016_2017.pdf

South Wales Police: Finance

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional funding or resources were provided to South Wales Police in connection with the hosting of the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final.

Mr Nick Hurd: Ministers have agreed to provide £1.4m of Special Grant funding for the event. This follows an application from the Police and Crime Commissioner and a review by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services.

UK Border Force: Wales

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many FTE Border Force officials were assigned to (a) ports and (b) airports in Wales in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: People employed in Border Force since 2012 can be found in the Annual Report and Accounts, links to which are shown below. Border Force resources in Wales are reviewed on a regular basis as part of the wider Border Force business planning process which is led by the Director General of Border Force.16-17 Page 66 -https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/627853/ho_annual_report_and_accounts_2016_2017.pdf15-16 Page 86 –https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/539638/HO_AR_16_gov.pdf14-15 Page 120 –https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441284/HO_AR_14-15_print.pdf13-14 Page 106 -https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/321446/ARA_web_enabled_18_June.pdf12-13 Page 125 -https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210660/Annual_Report_and_ASecurity of the border cannot be measured by numbers of staff. Border Force uses a sophisticated combination of experienced officers, intelligence, data, technology and partnership working.

UK Border Force: East of England

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to use Border Force Specials to carry out aviation and maritime duties on the east coast of the UK; and if she will make statement.

Brandon Lewis: Border Force uses mobile resources in the East of England and elsewhere to dynamically respond to new operational demands and carry out a range of border security work in the aviation and maritime sectors. Such work is resourced through permanently employed Border Force Officers.However, Border Force is considering the use of ‘special’ volunteers to supplement the work of permanently employed staff in mobile teams and at portsTo that end Border Force is seeking to learn from various police forces’ use of Special Constables.

Immigration

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that those establishing residency in the UK via a Tier 1 visa pass strict checks.

Brandon Lewis: In 2015, we introduced new, more stringent measures on our Tier 1 (Investor) route before applicants can invest in the UK. These changes ensure that migrants are subjected to stronger due diligence and anti-money laundering checks before they are granted a visa. We also doubled the minimum required investment and removed a provision which allowed migrants to invest money which had been obtained through loans. We created new powers to refuse applications including where granting the visa is not conducive to the public good.On the Tier 1 Entrepreneur route, we have introduced a number of measures which ensure that migrants must demonstrate that they have made an economic contribution to the UK before they can settle.

Asylum: Housing

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to ensure that future asylum accommodation contracts work to ensure the long-term sustainability of the dispersal system through co-operative working with local authorities and communities.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office is committed to working co-operatively with local authorities and communities to ensure the sustainability of asylum accommodation contracts.Since September 2016 the Home Office has actively engaged with local authorities with a wide range of stakeholders across local government, statutory and third sector as part of the development of the new asylum accommodation contracts and the information obtained through this process has influenced the design of the future service provision. We will continue to engage with local authorities and the wider community throughout the procurement and implementation of the new contracts.

Slavery: Victims

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Home Secretary, with reference to Section 49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, what the timetable is for her Department to issue guidance to (a) public authorities and (b) people on the sort of things that indicate a person may be a victim and arrangements for providing assistance and support.

Victoria Atkins: On 26 October 2016 the Government announced its plans for reform of the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) confirming the Government’s commitment to markedly improving the identification of, and support provided to, victims of modern slavery. This includes under section 50 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 setting out in regulations the support that victims will be entitled to, and the publication of statutory guidance, under Section 49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, on identification and support for victims of slavery.This now forms part of an implementation programme to ensure effective delivery and sequencing of the full range of NRM reforms. No specific date has yet been set for publication of new guidance.In the interim there are multiple resources hosted on the Gov.uk website aimed at assisting the general public to spot the signs of modern slavery and ensure potential victims have access to support, and guidance to Competent Authorities on formally identifying victims through the NRM.NRM Reform Announcement: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2017-10-26/debates/D9B8BD1A-F0D6-42D5-9490-741950800859/ModernSlaveryAct2015https://www.gov.uk/government/news/modern-slavery-victims-to-receive-longer-period-of-supportGov.uk Resources: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/modern-slavery-training-resource-page/modern-slavery-training-resource-pagehttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/modern-slavery-awareness-booklethttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/human-trafficking-victims-referral-and-assessment-forms/guidance-on-the-national-referral-mechanism-for-potential-adult-victims-of-modern-slavery-england-and-waleshttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/victims-of-trafficking-guidance-for-competent-bodies

Cycling: Fines

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information his Department holds on the number of people who were fined for cycling on a pavement in 2017.

Mr Nick Hurd: This is an operational matter for Chief Officers of police.The Ministry of Justice is not yet in a position to publish the data it collects on the number of offenders sentenced to a fine by the courts for offences related to cycling in England and Wales for 2017. Data for 2017, including finalised data for Quarters 1 and 2, is planned for publication in May 2018.

Police: Road Traffic Offences

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have been (a) charged, (b) convicted and (c) given a custodial or suspended custodial sentence for (i) careless driving and (ii) dangerous driving arising from actions performed as part of their policing duties in each of the last five years.

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many fire brigade officers have been (a) charged, (b) convicted, (c) given a custodial or suspended custodial sentence for (i) careless driving and (ii) dangerous driving arising from actions performed as part of their firefighting and rescue duties in each of the last five years.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office does not hold the information requested centrally.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many data incidents his Department (a) recorded and (b) reported to the Information Commissioner's Office in (i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-17.

Chloe Smith: No data incidents have been recorded or reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office for the years 2015-16 or 2016-17.

Northern Ireland Office: Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many and what proportion of his Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions in the 2017-18 Session to date have referred to the information requested not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally.

Chloe Smith: The Northern Ireland Office have answered 2 written parliamentary questions explaining that the requested information was not available on the grounds of it not being collected or held centrally. This is out of a total of 184 parliamentary questions that have been answered (as at 20 December).

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of her Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions have advised that the requested information was not available on the grounds of disproportionate cost associated with data collection and collation in the current Session.

Matt Hancock: As of 19th December, DCMS has answered 1,062 Written Parliamentary Questions, of which 12 or 1.1% were answered in such a manner. Pretty good I think.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: EU Nationals

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many non-UK EU nationals started employment in her Department since 23 June 2016.

Matt Hancock: We do not record the number of non-UK EU nationals who started employment in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, since 23 June 2016.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many times her Department's Senior Information Risk Officer roles has been vacant for a week or longer since 2012.

Matt Hancock: Since December 2013 this role and responsibility not been vacant at any time. Data before December 2013 is not centrally held.

Gaming Machines: Midlothian

Danielle Rowley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the effect of fixed-odds betting terminals on gambling addiction rates in Midlothian constituency in the last three years.

Tracey Crouch: Neither the Department, nor the Gambling Commission, hold information on gambling addiction rates in individual constituencies. We published a consultation on gaming machines and social responsibility in October. This includes measures to strengthen protections around online gambling and gambling advertising, which can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-proposals-for-changes-to-gaming-machines-and-social-responsibility-measures

21st Century Fox: Sky

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of Disney's takeover of 21st Century Fox for the Competition and Markets Authority's investigation into the anticipated acquisition of Sky Plc by 21st Century Fox; and if she will make a statement.

Karen Bradley: On 14 December, Disney and the 21st Century Fox announced details of an agreement for the sale of 21st Century Fox to Disney. This includes its interests in two major UK Media companies Sky PLC and Endemol/Shine. 21st Century Fox currently remains as the bidder for Sky PLC and Disney and 21st Century Fox confirmed in their joint announcement that they want the 21st Century Fox bid for Sky - announced in December 2016 – to continue. The current Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) inquiry into the Fox/Sky merger will therefore continue.The CMA are of course fully aware of the Disney bid and it is for them to consider how to account for this development in their inquiry. The CMA are due to publish their interim findings on the merger in mid-January and provide their final report by 6 March. I will then consider all the relevant information and make the final decision on the merger.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate her Department has made of the unit cost for National Citizen Service places in 2018.

Tracey Crouch: NCS Trust and DCMS work to the Financial Year April - March. 2018 NCS summer and autumn programmes fall into the Financial Year 2018 - 2019, and the target unit cost for this financial year will be signed off in March 2018 as part of the annual budget-setting process.

National Citizen Service Trust

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help the NCS Trust recover funds spent on unfilled National Citizen Service places.

Tracey Crouch: DCMS has been working closely with NCS Trust to reduce the risk of funds being spent on unfilled places. This year DCMS introduced a KPI on the number of unfilled places in the NCS Trust’s performance management framework. In 2017 we also worked with the Trust to improve the accuracy of target-setting and commissioning which means that the number of places commissioned is better matched to actual demand. In 2016 NCS Trust also carried out an independent, external audit to identify funds that could be recovered.

Broadband: Scotland

Kirstene Hair: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to deliver broadband connectivity that meets the universal service obligation to (a)  the constituency of Angus and (b) Scotland.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department plans to publish the outcome of its consultation on the broadband universal service obligation.

Matt Hancock: I refer the hon member to the Written Ministerial Statement entitled Delivery of Universal Broadband issued on 20th December.

Arts: EU Nationals

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made the effect on the creative industries of extending the current visa regime for non-EU nationals to EU nationals after the UK leaves the EU.

Matt Hancock: The Government is considering a wide range of options for the future immigration system. We will be setting out our initial proposals for a new immigration system shortly and will be consulting closely with stakeholders, including those in the Creative Industries to help determine the future shape of our immigration policy for both EU and non-EU nationals. As part of this process, Government has also commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to undertake a detailed assessment of the role of EU migration across all parts of the UK economy and society.

Offences Against Children: Sports

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2017 to Question 116539, on Offences against children: sports, when the Government plans to extend the definition of a position of trust to include sports coaches.

Tracey Crouch: Proposals are being developed to extend the definition of a ‘position of trust’ in the Sexual Offences Act 2003, to bring into that definition sports coaches who hold a position of trust in relation to a child aged 16 or 17 under their care. We are working to finalise our proposals in early 2018 and will have a clearer view of timing once we have done so.

Art Works: Objects in Lieu of Tax

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will set out the total number and value of works of art taken in lieu of taxation by HMRC in each of the last 10 years.

John Glen: The total number and value of works of art accepted in lieu of taxation under the Acceptance in Lieu Scheme and the amount of tax settled in each of the last 10 years is as follows:  Year to 31 MarchNumber of casesValue of objects accepted (£m)Tax settled (£m)20083215.210.320093619.810.820103315.710.82011268.34.920122531.32020132948.329.920142441.929.320152636.825.620162640.826.120173835.423.4

Data Protection

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the merits of negotiating with the EU, separately from any trade agreements, an adequacy declaration for data protection.

Matt Hancock: On 24 August, the Government published a future partnership paper on how to ensure the continued protection and exchange of personal data between the EU and the UK, in light of the UK's withdrawal from, and new partnership with, the EU.

Personal Records: Data Protection

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to start discussions with the European Commission on a new UK-EU model for exchanging and protecting personal data.

Matt Hancock: The Government is focusing its efforts now on quickly agreeing the detail of a time-limited implementation period that gives further certainty to people and businesses, and to settling the terms of a future partnership that delivers prosperity and security for all.

Personal Records: Data Protection

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to promote the portability of personal data between different digital platforms.

Matt Hancock: The right to data portability is an important provision of GDPR, and we are working to assess the role that government should take in ensuring that it works for businesses and consumers.

Broadband and Mobile Phones: Rural Areas

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to improve broadband and mobile phone coverage in rural areas.

Gillian Keegan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to improve broadband and mobile phone coverage in rural areas.

Matt Hancock: We are taking a wide range of initiatives that will improve broadband and mobile phone coverage in rural areas. We have reformed the Electronic Communications Code to make it easier and cheaper to install digital infrastructure. Our ambition is to extend mobile coverage to 95% of the UK’s landmass by 2022 and this will benefit rural areas as well. Ofcom has identified the 700 MHz band as suitable for coverage obligations and we will work with Ofcom to determine the best options.95% of UK premises will have access to superfast speeds by the end of 2017 and we expect coverage will be extended beyond that to reach at least a further 2% of premises. All homes and businesses which are unable to receive a speed of at least 2Mbps can benefit from support from the Better Broadband Scheme. Further information on the Scheme can be found on our website (https://basicbroadbandchecker.culture.gov.uk/guide-to-better-broadband-subsidy-scheme.pdf).As confirmed in our announcement yesterday, we are pushing ahead with our plans for a Universal Service Obligation so that by 2020 everyone across the UK will have a clear, enforceable right to high speed broadband.As part of the Local Full Fibre Network programme, a £4.66 million pilot project has begun to deliver fibre connections to public buildings across West Sussex, including Chichester.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of her Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions in the 2017-18 Session to date have referred to the information requested not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally.

Matt Hancock: As of 19th December, DCMS has answered 1,062 Written Parliamentary Questions, of which 19 or 1.8% were answered in such a manner. Also pretty low.

Gambling: Young People

Ronnie Cowan: What steps the Government is taking to protect young people from gambling-related harm.

Tracey Crouch: We published a consultation on gaming machines and social responsibility in October. This includes measures to strengthen protections around online gambling and gambling advertising, which can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-proposals-for-changes-to-gaming-machines-and-social-responsibility-measures In addition we are introducting a new package of measures to strengthen protections around around online gambling and Gamble Aware will lead a major responsible gambling advertising campaign, to make sure parents and children are aware of risks associated with gambling. Protecting children and vulnerable people is a key aim for the Gambling Commission and government.

Gambling

Carolyn Harris: What steps her Department is taking to tackle problem gambling.

Tracey Crouch: We published a consultation on gaming machines and social responsibility in October. This includes proposals to cut stakes on fixed-odds betting terminals and measures to strengthen protections around other gaming machines, online gambling and gambling advertising Gamble Aware will lead a major responsible gambling advertising campaign, to raise awareness of risks associated with gambling Protecting vulnerable people is a key aim for the Gambling Commission and the Government.

Sports: Facilities

Louise Haigh: What steps her Department is taking to improve access to sports facilities.

Tracey Crouch: We expect all owners of sports facilities and stadia to take the necessary action to fulfil their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 so that disabled people are not placed at a substantial disadvantage when accessing sports venues. Our Sports Strategy commits Government to work with the football authorities to ensure that all clubs meet their legal obligations under the Equality Act to accommodate disabled spectators. Sport England provides guidance to organisations to support them in developing accessible facilities.

Department of Health

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in the last 12 months.

Steve Brine: This information is not collected.

Blood: Donors

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that blood transfusion donations are carefully monitored to prevent recipients from getting ill as a result.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for the controls and authorisations that apply to sites that collect, test and supply human blood or blood components intended for transfusion, and controls of blood establishments and hospital blood banks. If the blood is intended for transfusion the blood bank must comply with the United Kingdom's Blood Safety and Quality Regulations. The MHRA assesses blood banks for compliance with these Regulations. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) complies with the Guidelines for the Blood Transfusion Services in the UK which are published by the Joint United Kingdom Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services Professional Advisory Committee (JPAC). All blood donations are microbiologically screened and must be found negative before they can be issued for transfusion. The European Union Directive on blood, set into UK law as the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations, defines storage, transport and distribution conditions for blood and blood components once collected. JPAC includes these requirements in the guidelines and these are followed by NHSBT.

Clinical Trials

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of whether the UK not being part of the Clinical Trials Regulation coming into effect in 2019 will be able to take part in such trials after the UK leaves the EU.

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the legislation that will be required in the UK to ensure that the UK becomes compatible with the EU Clinical Trials Regulation coming into force in 2019.

Steve Brine: The Government values the strong collaborative partnerships that we have across the European Union in the areas of science, research and innovation, and as part of Exit negotiations is working to ensure that we have the best possible environment in which to support clinical trials and new medicines after we leave the EU. In the United Kingdom, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Health Research Authority, ethics services, National Institute for Health Research and National Health Service have been working towards implementation of the new European Clinical Trials Regulation (CTR) since it was agreed in 2014. The application date of the CTR across the EU will be set by the European Commission. The current regulatory approval legislation will stay in place until such time as any changes are needed so there will be no interruption in UK clinical trials approval.

NHS: Reorganisation

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has received representations from NHS Trusts to allow them to create accountable care organisations.

Steve Brine: The Department has not received representations from National Health Service trusts. It is for local commissioners working with NHS England to decide who can use the draft contract. We believe it is right that local NHS leaders and clinicians have the autonomy to decide the best solutions to improve care for the patients they know best.

Low Birthweight Babies

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for the Government's policies of research into the potential effect of air pollution on the birth-weight of babies.

Steve Brine: The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution work plan includes early life effects of which a low birth weight is an important part. Currently the impacts of air pollution on development and morbidity are less understood than the impact on mortality, and the Government will consider the implications in the light of further expert advice as it becomes available.

Patients: Transport

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has made an assessment of the implementation of the Eligibility Criteria for Patient Transport Services guide.

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect of outsourcing patient transport services on the quality of service provided.

Steve Brine: No such assessments have been made. The provision of appropriate patient transport services is a matter for local National Health Service commissioners.

NHS: Negligence

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many clinical negligence claims relating to a stroke have been made against NHS trusts due to (a) a misdiagnosis and (b) mistreatment of atrial fibrillation in the last twelve months.

Mr Philip Dunne: NHS Resolution has supplied the following information: NHS Resolution holds information relating to claims notified to it against pre-defined injury, cause and specialty codes. NHS Resolution has used the following search terms: The total number of clinical claims where one of the injuries was ‘stroke’ and one of the causes was ‘Failure/Delay Diagnosis’ or ‘Wrong Diagnosis’, received 1 December 2016 to 30 November 2017 was 35. NHS Resolution does not have a code for mistreatment of atrial fibrillation so it has undertaken a search of the number of clinical claims where one of the injuries was ‘stroke’ and ‘atrial fibrillation’ was mentioned in the incident details reported, received 1 December 2016 to 30 November 2017. NHS Resolution has advised that it cannot provide the number of claims because to do so might lead to the identification of an individual.

Neuromuscular Disorders: Mental Health Services

Michelle Donelan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the provision of psychological support for adults with muscular dystrophy and neuromuscular conditions.

Steve Brine: No specific assessment has been made. Guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has been published for a number of neuromuscular disorders, and where appropriate, the guidance makes recommendations about access to psychological and counselling support for patients. In addition, NHS England has also set out that specialised care for patients with neuromuscular disorders, such as muscular dystrophy, should provide access to psychologists and/or counsellors. NHS England is also working with the Neurological Alliance in support of the new national Neurology Advisory Group, which is considering ways to reduce variation and drive improvement in neurological care. This includes looking at issues such as psychological support, which were recently raised in the report Parity of esteem for people affected by neurological conditions: meeting the emotional, cognitive & mental health needs of neurology patients, published by the Neurological Alliance on 5 July 2017. Finally, as set out in Implementing the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, published in July 2016, the expansion of psychological therapies services will require building skills and capacity in the workforce. This includes: top-up training in new competencies for long-term conditions (relevant to people with neuromuscular disorders and other long term health problems) and medically unexplained symptoms for current staff; targeted training in working with older people; and training new staff to increase overall capacity – such as the 3,000 additional mental health therapists located in primary care.

Department of Health: EU Nationals

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many non-UK EU nationals started employment in his Department since 23 June 2016.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Civil Service does not routinely collect information on the nationality of civil servants. The information is not held.

Meningitis: Health Education

Helen Whately: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to raise awareness of meningitis since 2015; and how much has been spent from the public purse on raising awareness of meningitis in that period.

Helen Whately: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect to date of his Department's steps to raise awareness of Meningitis; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine: Public Health England (PHE) produces a range of training materials for immunisers, which includes information on vaccination programmes, training events and newsletters. It collaborates with charities to support their work to improve healthcare worker knowledge on meningococcal disease, including through the development and distribution of information aimed at all healthcare professionals. In 2015-16, PHE spent £50,000 on media to raise awareness of the Meningitis ACWY immunisation. A wide range of communications with young people and their parents was undertaken. Media budgets for financial year 2016-17 are not yet finalised. In 2016-17, PHE provided a £24,000 grant to Meningitis Research Foundation and Meningitis Now, to support their work to increase awareness and knowledge of meningitis and septicaemia symptoms amongst parents. Activities included: inserting 350,000 copies of ‘Babywatch’ and ‘Totwatch’ information materials into the ‘red book’ provided to all new mothers; distributing ‘Babywatch’ toolkit containing cards and posters to 500 maternity units and special care baby units; and a social media campaign to promote Meningitis Now’s ‘Meningitis Signs and Symptoms’ app. Meningitis Now’s social media campaign generated almost 4 million opportunities to see their adverts (“impressions”) and there were 470,522 views of their videos about the symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia, with the majority of views coming from people new to the charity. This resulted in an 80% rise in downloads of the campaign app. The charity also had nearly 300 new orders for signs and symptoms cards. Research conducted by PHE in 2016 showed a high level of awareness of meningitis. More than 80% of parents and 70% of 14-25 year olds reported that they had knowledge of meningitis. The research commissioned by PHE confirmed that awareness of meningitis and septicaemia is high amongst parents but gave recommendations on how existing charity promotional materials could be improved to help parents.

Vaccination

Helen Whately: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the Cost Effectiveness Methodology for Immunisation Programmes and Procurement report into vaccine cost-effectiveness.

Steve Brine: The Cost Effectiveness Methodology for Immunisation Programmes and Procurement (CEMIPP) report is technically complex with potential implications that could extend beyond immunisation. This report was referred to the Appraisal Alignment Working Group (AAWG) for further advice. The Department will consider the CEMIPP report alongside the AAWG advice and remains committed to publishing the CEMIPP report in due course.

Colorectal Cancer: Screening

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has plans to reduce the screening age for bowel cancer to 50 years old.

Steve Brine: Following the Ministerial approval of the United Kingdom National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC’s) recommendation to introduce Faecal Immunochemical Testing as the primary screen test in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme, the UK NSC commissioned the Sheffield School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) to use existing evidence and modelling techniques to describe options for optimising bowel cancer screening. This includes at different cut off levels for the test and at various age ranges. The UK NSC will continue to work with ScHARR, and stakeholders, and will make a final recommendation in 2018.

Drugs: Misuse

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to tackle drug addiction.

Steve Brine: Public Health England (PHE) is working closely with the Department of Health and other government departments to support the Drug Strategy and its ambition for recovery by enhancing treatment quality and improving outcomes through tailored interventions for different user groups. The Drug Strategy is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/drug-strategy-2017PHE will support local areas to ensure the right interventions are given to people according to their needs. PHE will also support local areas to deliver an enhanced joined-up approach to commissioning and delivery of the wide range of services, in addition to treatment, that are essential to supporting every individual to live a life free from drugs and dependence. We know recovery is only achievable through a partnership-based approach with action taken across a range of services, particularly housing, employment and mental health.

Mental Health: Females

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on ensuring that the planned Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill tackles the effect of violence on women’s mental health.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department and the Home Office are in regular discussion about the Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill and the supporting non-legislative programme. The Government is committed to ensuring that survivors of domestic abuse receive the help and support they need. We are currently considering how delivery of health interventions to survivors, including mental health support, can be further developed. The Government will be launching a consultation on proposals in the Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill and accompanying non-legislative package in the new year. We are keen to hear from a wide range of experts, including from health professionals and organisations supporting victims and survivors.

Breastfeeding: Health Education

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to promote the health benefits of breastfeeding.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Government is committed to supporting breastfeeding through the Healthy Child Programme, as the health benefits are clear for mothers and their babies. We would still like to see more mothers breastfeeding and doing so for longer and are working with our partners including Public Health England (PHE), NHS England and UNICEF to achieve this goal. The promotion of breast feeding is one of the six high-impact areas for health visiting, with health visitors supporting parents around infant feeding. PHE is working with local services to create breastfeeding friendly communities, with midwives and health visitors promoting best practice, and through the Start4Life campaigns to provide parents with trusted National Health Service advice. This includes the Start4Life ‘Breastfeeding Friend’ (an interactive Facebook Messenger ‘ChatBot’), and the Start4Life website available at: https://www.nhs.uk/start4life The latter contains a range of leaflets and resources available which professionals can order for free and provides a dedicated breastfeeding helpline. PHE and UNICEF UK have developed a toolkit to support commissioning of evidence-based interventions to improve breastfeeding rates across England, including provision of effective professional support to mothers and their families through implementation of the Baby Friendly Initiative in every maternity unit. PHE is encouraging Local Maternity Systems across the country to include plans to increase the number of babies breastfed at six months within their transformation plans.

Mental Health Services: Staff

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many members of staff he plans to recruit to the proposed Mental Health Support Teams.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The number of staff who will form the Mental Health Support Teams as announced in our recent green paper, Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision, will be determined according to local circumstances, and will be informed through responses to the Green Paper consultation and tested by initial trailblazer sites. The trailblazers may take different approaches in each area depending on local need and we will use the trailblazers to test and evaluate different models to inform ongoing roll-out.

Mental Health: Children and Young People

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department holds information on the longest period of time a child or young person has waited for mental health treatment in the NHS, in each of the last five years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information requested is not held.

Behaviour Disorders: Children and Young People

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to improve the mental health of children and young people with behavioural problems.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Children and young people’s mental health is a top priority for this Government and we are investing more than ever before across mental health. We are making an additional £1.4 billion available until 2019/20, transforming services and giving access to 70,000 additional children and young people. Our recent Green Paper aims to improve provision of services in schools, bolster links between schools and the National Health Service and pilot a four week waiting time. The Children and Young People’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme includes training for staff in the NHS, local authorities’ children’s services, the voluntary and independent sector and in evidence based therapies to support children and young people with a range of issues and needs. This includes behavioural problems. This training is available to services across the country. The programme can be accessed via this link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/cyp/iapt/

General Practitioners

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many GPs closed their surgeries to new patients in each of the last six years for which figures are available.

Steve Brine: The data requested on the number of general practitioner surgeries closed to new patients is presented in the table below. This data collection began in 2016/17 and is therefore not available prior to this. The next data collection will commence in April 2018 and will cover the whole of the 2017/18 period with the data expected to be published in summer 2018. PeriodNumber of practices operating closed patient lists (at the end of the reporting period)April – September 2016109October 2016 – March 201789

Mental Health: Expenditure

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the real terms change in mental health expenditure will be over the next six financial years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: ‘Implementing the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health’ (NHS England, 2016) sets out the planned expenditure for additional cash term funding for mental health through to 2020/21. In addition to this, NHS England tracks total outturn mental health expenditure for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and for specialised commissioning. For future years, the Department expects CCG spending to continue to rise at a higher rate than overall CCG allocations, in line with the Mental Health Investment Standard.

Social Services

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of local health communities have implemented the High Impact Change Model (23) for reducing delayed transfers of care in (a) March 2017 and (b) October 2017.

Steve Brine: Information on High Impact Change (HIC) Model implementation for March 2017 is not available. Quarter 1 data was not collected. Self-assessed Better Care Fund quarterly reporting returns for Quarter 2 (end of September) provide information at a Health and Wellbeing Board level. This shows the number of Health and Wellbeing Board areas at ‘Established’ level (or better) in each of the HIC elements as at the end of September. - Early discharge planning – 79/150- Systems to monitor patient flow – 87/150- Multi-disciplinary/ multi-agency discharge teams- 108/150- Home first/ discharge to assess – 87/150- Seven- day service – 62/150- Trusted assessors- 50/150- Focus on choice – 81/150- Enhancing health in care homes – 81/150 The number of Health and Wellbeing Board areas expecting to have these elements in place increases significantly for quarters 3 and 4 of 2017/18.

General Practitioners: Attendance

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of patients had access to evening and weekend GP appointments in (a) March 2017 and (b) October 2017.

Steve Brine: In keeping with the National Health Service Operational Planning and Contract Guidance 2016, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have put in place plans to ensure full national coverage by March 2019. Data is not available for March and October 2017 yet, however, planned rollout trajectory from the initial CCG plans collated at the beginning of the year is detailed below. This is split into two 6 month periods labelled H1 (projected number as at 30 September 2017) and H2 (projected number as at 31 March 2018) for 2017/18.  H1 2017/18H2 2017/18 (Number of CCGs / % CCGs)(Number of CCGs / % CCGs)Total coverage8246%10651%

Ambulance Services: Emergency Calls

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made on the implementation of the recommendations of the Ambulance Response Programme.

Mr Philip Dunne: All mainland ambulance trusts in England have now implemented the Ambulance Response Programme recommendations and are reporting against the new Ambulance Quality Indicators. Isle of Wight NHS Trust will implement the changes from April 2018.

Diabetes: Medical Equipment

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment has the Department made of the effectiveness of the introduction of the FreeStyle Libre diabetes system for NHS practitioners.

Steve Brine: NHS Business Services Authority carries out the assessment of Part IX applications by manufacturers on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health, for prescribing at National Health Service expense by an appropriate practitioner. Any device made available for prescribing to patients through listing in Part IX, including FreeStyle Libre, is required to meet set criteria, namely that the product is safe and of good quality, it is appropriate for general practice and, if relevant, non-medical prescribing, and it is cost effective. However, the listing of a medical device in the Drug Tariff should not be interpreted as a recommendation to prescribe a particular product. Patients will need to discuss the ongoing management of their condition with their healthcare professional and consider whether FreeStyle Libre is appropriate for them.

Suicide: Accident and Emergency Departments

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients were admitted via A&E with a primary diagnosis of attempted suicide in each month of (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14, (e) 2014-15, (f) 2015-16 and (g) 2016-17 in (i) Southport and (ii) nationally.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Information is not held in the format requested. The information available is shown in the table below. This shows a count of unplanned accident and emergency attendances that resulted in a hospital admission with a patient group of deliberate self-harm for Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, NHS Southport and Formby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) of treatment, NHS Southport and Formby CCG of residence and England total, 2010-11 to 2016-17. YearSouthport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS TrustNHS Southport and Formby CCG of treatmentNHS Southport and Formby CCG of residenceEngland total2010-1142242220745,7842011-1224024011248,0242012-1336736721045,2492013-1431331315047,4352014-1526726715042,4642015-1621720813342,5652016-1720317911439,687

Mental Health: Accident and Emergency Departments

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients were admitted via A&E with a primary diagnosis relating to mental health in each month of (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14, (e) 2014-15, (f) 2015-16 and (g) 2016-17 in (i) Southport and (ii) nationally.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Information is not held in the format requested. The information available is shown in the table below. This shows a count of unplanned accident and emergency attendances that resulted in a hospital admission with a primary diagnosis of psychiatric condition for Southport and Ormskirk Hospital National Health Service Trust, Southport and Formby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) of treatment, Southport and Formby CCG of residence and England total, 2010-11 to 2016-17. YearSouthport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS TrustNHS Southport and Formby CCG of treatmentNHS Southport and Formby CCG of residenceEngland total2010-1125025013920,8792011-1224724711924,7912012-1318318311426,4942013-1421821810629,8902014-1534334316529,7052015-1632827220731,7482016-1725518613933,249Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS Digital

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the last impact assessment was undertaken of the prescription charge medical exemption list; if he will publish that impact assessment; and whether that impact assessment makes reference to the disproportionate effect on certain groups of Sickle Cell or Lupus.

Steve Brine: The Department has not undertaken a formal impact assessment on the potential cost of eliminating or reducing prescription charges for people with long-term medical conditions not already covered by a medical exemption. However, the Prescription Charges Review (the Review) undertaken by Professor Sir Ian Gilmore on behalf of the Department, and published in 2010, estimated that extending exemption, at that time, to all those with a long-term condition would lead to a loss in revenue of between £360 and £430 million. This document is publicly available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prescription-charges-review-the-gilmore-reportThe Review does not make specific reference to sufferers of lupus, however, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia and the Sickle Cell Society provided written evidence to the Review.

Alcoholic Drinks: Minimum Prices

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of minimum unit pricing in England on the number of children living with an alcohol dependent parent.

Steve Brine: No assessment has been made on the potential effect of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) in England on the number of children living with an alcohol dependent parent. MUP and its effects will continue to remain under review pending the impact of its implementation in Scotland.

Department of Health: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many data incidents his Department (a) recorded and (b) reported to the Information Commissioner's Office in (i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-17.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department recorded three data incidents in 2015-16 and six in 2016-17. The Department did not report any data incidents to the Information Commissioner’s Office in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

Department of Health: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times his Department's Senior Information Risk Officer role has been vacant for a week or longer since 2012.

Mr Philip Dunne: The responsibilities and functions of the Senior Information Risk Owner have consistently been discharged at Board level within the Department from 2012.

Abortion: Private Sector

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to ensure that private abortion providers give clients adequate time to make their own decisions on abortion; and if he will make a statement.

Jackie Doyle-Price: All independent sector providers of termination of pregnancy services are required by the Department’s Required Standard Operating Procedures (RSOPs) to ensure that women requesting an abortion are offered the opportunity to discuss their options and choices with, and receive therapeutic support from, a trained pregnancy counsellor. This offer should be repeated at every stage of the care pathway. In addition, women should be able to choose to delay appointments/booked procedures which should always override issues of timeliness. Independent sector clinics performing termination of pregnancy are approved by the Secretary of State for Health and registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to undertake that regulated activity. Once registered, independent sector abortion providers are inspected by the CQC who will monitor providers’ compliance with the RSOPs. Failure to comply with the requirements of the RSOPs may lead to withdrawal of Secretary of State’s approval for that clinic to provide termination of pregnancy services.

GP At Hand: Homelessness

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether homeless people are able to register with the GP at hand service.

Steve Brine: Homeless patients are entitled to register with GP at Hand, in the same way as with any other general practitioner (GP) practice, using a temporary address, which may be a friend’s address or a day centre. The practice may also use the practice address to register homeless patients if they wish. GP at Hand offer traditional general medical services to patients registered with them. The enhanced model they are implementing now focuses on a digital first service through the use of a mobile app which is provided by Babylon Health. Due to the digital element of the service, GP at Hand may not be suitable for all patients.

Prisons: Health Services

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many external medical appointments have been missed by prisoners due to insufficient numbers of prison staff in the last 12 months.

Jackie Doyle-Price: This information is not held or published centrally.

Health Professions: Schools

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for recent changes in the number of (a) educational psychologists, (b) NHS psychiatrists and (c) school nurses.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Secretary of State for Health has statutory responsibility for ensuring adequate systems are in place for health and care workforce supply. Health Education England fulfils these responsibilities through its workforce planning role for the National Health Service by balancing need against demand and taking into account factors which impact supply such as the age profile of the existing workforce, changes in training numbers and funded posts, staff retention and satisfaction. Their latest assessment is available in the consultation Facing the Facts, Shaping the future, a draft health and care workforce strategy for England to 2027.

Cancer: Health Services

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the public purse was of cancer services in each year since 2001-02.

Steve Brine: The information requested is not routinely collected. In its 2015 report, Progress in improving cancer services and outcomes in England, the National Audit Office estimated that the cost to the National Health Service of cancer services in 2012-13 was £6.7 billion.

Health Services: Learning Disability

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of people with learning disabilities whose care is paid for by the NHS are being cared for in facilities owned by private companies.

Jackie Doyle-Price: This information is not held in the format requested.

Prescription Drugs

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients have been prescribed (a) benzodiazepines and (b) z-drugs for four months or longer in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: NHS Business Services Authority only holds data relating to drugs prescribed in England and dispensed within a community setting. There is no data collected by NHS Business Services Authority relating to the dosage or the time period for which drugs cover. However, the England national figure for the prescribing of benzodiazepines and z-drugs in each of the last five years is shown in the table below: PeriodTotal items benzodiazepinesTotal items z-DrugsNovember 2012 - March 20134,477,1332,602,712April 2013 – March 201410,673,3956,385,725April 2014 – March 201510,392,2486,440,846April 2015 – March 201610,111,6926,396,935April 2016 – March 20179,959,6436,333,126April 2017 - October 20175,650,0263,560,121Source: ePACT.net NHS Business Services Authority has captured patient level prescription information from April 2015 onwards; provided in the table below are the number of unique patients who have been prescribed benzodiazepines and z-drugs for the last full two years for which data is available. PeriodDrug GroupNumber of unique identifiable patientsOctober 2015 – September 2016Benzodiazepine1,636,809October 2016 – September 2017Benzodiazepine1,619,237October 2015 – September 2016Z-Drug1,050,369October 2016 – September 2017Z-Drug1,019,626Source: ePACT2

Innovative Medicines and Medical Technology Review

Sir Mike  Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of implementation of the recommendations of the Accelerated Access review on services to people with (a) Cystic Fibrosis and (b) other long-term conditions; and will he make a statement.

Steve Brine: The Government and partners published the response to the Accelerated Access Review on 3 November which outlines plans for implementation. Since the Accelerated Access Collaborative has not yet selected any products, we have not made any assessment of the effect of implementation on any particular condition. The Accelerated Access Pathway will be operational from April 2018 when it will begin selecting products.

Orkambi

Sir Mike  Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the drug Orkambi is made available on the NHS to people in England with Cystic Fibrosis who have been waiting two years for that prescription; and will he make a statement.

Steve Brine: In July 2016, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the independent body that develops guidance on drugs and treatments for clinical and cost effectiveness for the National Health Service in England, was unable to recommend Orkambi as a cost effective use of NHS resources. NICE concluded that, although clinically significant for managing cystic fibrosis, the longer term outcomes and benefits were not sufficient to justify its considerable costs. Orkambi is not therefore routinely available to NHS patients with cystic fibrosis. Since then there has been a constructive dialogue underway between the company, NHS England and NICE, including discussion hosted through NICE’s confidential ‘Office for Market Access’, although NICE is yet to receive any fresh proposals from Vertex, the company that manufactures Orkambi. Both NHS England and NICE have been consistent in advice to Vertex, that progress can only be made by working through NICE’s appraisal processes and the existing commercial framework. Any funding decisions in the absence of positive NICE technology appraisal guidance should be made by NHS commissioners based on an assessment of the available evidence and on the basis of an individual patient’s clinical circumstances.

Eyesight: Medical Treatments

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times Corneal Cross-Linking (CXL) treatment has been undertaken by the NHS in each of the last five financial years.

Steve Brine: This information is not held centrally.

Chronic Illnesses: Medical Treatments

Sir Mike  Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the use of (a) the drug Orkambi and (b) other new medicines for long-term conditions on (i) the budget of the NHS and (ii) resources available for hospital inpatients.

Steve Brine: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that provides guidance on the prevention and treatment of ill health and the promotion of good health and social care. Through its technology appraisal programme, NICE provides authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on whether drugs and other treatments represent a clinically and cost effective use of resources. NHS organisations are legally required to make funding available for drugs and treatments recommended in NICE technology appraisal guidance. NICE has recommended a number of drugs for the treatment of long-term conditions and has published resource impact tools alongside its recommendations to aid NHS organisations in assessing the expected impact of NICE’s recommendations. NICE published technology appraisal guidance in July 2016 that does not recommend Orkambi as a clinically and cost effective use of NHS resources There has been a constructive dialogue between the company, NHS England and NICE, including discussion hosted through NICE’s confidential ‘Office for Market Access’, although NICE is yet to receive any fresh proposals from Vertex, the company that manufactures Orkambi. Both NHS England and NICE have been consistent in advice to Vertex, that progress can only be made by working through NICE’s appraisal processes and the existing commercial framework.

Innovative Medicines and Medical Technology Review

Sir Mike  Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits for people with long-term conditions such as cystic fibrosis of implementing the recommendations of the accelerated access review; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine: The Government and partners published the response to the Accelerated Access Review on 3 November which outlines plans for implementation. Since the Accelerated Access Collaborative has not yet selected any products, we have not made any assessment of the benefits for any particular condition. The Accelerated Access Pathway will be operational from April 2018 when it will begin selecting products.

Alcoholic Drinks: Minimum Prices

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of minimum unit pricing on alcohol on reducing the incidence of cancer.

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of minimum unit pricing of alcohol on the number of cancer deaths.

Steve Brine: The Government has made no assessment of the potential effect of minimum unit pricing (MUP) of alcohol on reducing the incidence of cancer or the number of cancer deaths. MUP and its effects will continue to remain under review pending the impact of its implementation in Scotland.

Breast Cancer: Drugs

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has for the NHS to prescribe (a) tamoxifen to reduce the risk of breast cancer for those with a family history of the disease and (b) bisphosphonates to reduce the risk of secondary breast cancer in menopausal women.

Steve Brine: The use of tamoxifen to reduce the risk of breast cancer for those with a family history of the disease is one of a number of options recommended for consideration by patients and clinicians within the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Clinical Guideline 164 (last updated during March 2017). The guideline identifies a number of patient groups in a number of different ways, such as risk level, pre/post menopause and whether or not patients have osteoporosis. The provision of tamoxifen is a matter for local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and NHS England expects CCGs to take account of NICE guidelines and local population needs when making commissioning decisions. NHS England recognises that bisphosphonates may have benefits for some women in preventing secondary breast cancer, however the provision of biophosphates is a matter for CCGs. NICE is considering the evidence on bisphosphonates and will be updating its clinical guidelines to take account of their use. We understand that this work is due to complete in 2018. However, subject to local commissioning policy, clinicians are already able to prescribe bisphosphonates for the treatment of secondary breast cancer where they judge it to be the most clinically appropriate treatment for an individual patient.

Breast Cancer: Diagnosis

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has for (a) workforce planning and (b) investment to ensure there is  diagnostic capacity for breast cancer in the NHS.

Mr Philip Dunne: On 5 December 2017, Health Education England published a comprehensive cancer workforce plan, developed with NHS England. This plan focuses on the actions needed to ensure that there is enough staff with the right skills to deliver the activity set out in the Cancer Taskforce Strategy, by 2021. The plan includes investment in 300 reporting radiographers by 2021 but it is not just about increasing numbers, it is about supporting staff to develop new skills and enabling them to work differently. The Cancer Workforce Plan is available at:https://hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Cancer%20Workforce%20Plan.pdf

Rare Diseases

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health,  what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect  on patients with (a) rare and (b) ultra-rare diseases of NICE and NHS England’s proposals for changes to the arrangements for evaluating and funding drugs and other health technologies appraised through NICE’s technology appraisal and highly specialised technologies programme, published in October 2016.

Steve Brine: We are committed to ensuring that patients with rare and ultra-rare diseases in England are able to access effective treatments. The changes to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Highly Specialised Technologies methods are intended to introduce a fairer, more transparent framework for the evaluation of technologies for very rare diseases that will enable truly transformative new drugs for patients with rare diseases to be made available to patients where companies are willing to set prices that fairly reflect the added benefit they bring.

Rare Diseases: Drugs

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many drugs for very rare diseases were declined funding by NHS England after assessment through the specialised commissioning prioritisation process in (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17.

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many drugs for very rare conditions NHS England plans to assess through its specialised commissioning prioritisation process in (a) 2017-18 and (b) 2018-19.

Steve Brine: The number of drugs for very rare diseases for their licensed indications that was declined funding by NHS England after assessment through the specialised commissioning prioritisation process was one in 2015/16 (this drug was subsequently approved via the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Highly specialised technology programme and zero in 2016/17. The number of drugs for very rare diseases for their licensed indications that NHS England plan to assess during 2017/18 is five and six in 2018/19.

Pneumococcal Diseases: Vaccination

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what responsibility NHS England has to fund the pneumococcal vaccination of patients who have undergone a stem-cell transplant under the pneumococcal immunisation service specification in the NHS public health functions agreement 2017-18.

Steve Brine: NHS England’s Directed Enhanced Service Specification for the seasonal influenza and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination programme 2017/18 states that patients who are defined as at-risk in the Green Book, ‘Immunisation Against Infectious Disease’ are eligible for the pneumococcal immunisation programme. The Green Book definition of ‘at-risk’ includes patients who are immunosuppressed. NHS England is responsible for the delivery of vaccinations to patients undergoing stem cell transplant, as they would be classed as immunosuppressed, as part of the Public Health functions agreement section 7a. The funding is via NHS England’s Directed Enhanced Services.

Transplant Surgery: Stem Cells

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to monitor the effectiveness NHS England's delivery of immunisation services for patients who have undergone a stem-cell transplant.

Steve Brine: NHS England has a specific role to commission the public health services set out in the National Health Service public health functions agreement and to hold to account providers to ensure that they deliver the contracts that have been agreed. The Department is the overall steward of the system and holds NHS England to account for delivery under the agreement. As part of the delivery of the vaccination programme via NHS England’s Directed Enhanced Services, general practitioners identify the patients at risk and call them in for vaccination. Uptake and coverage is monitored at NHS England local team and regional level and forms a part of the accountability and assurance process with NHS England and across the tripartite arrangements between NHS England, Public Health England and the Department.

Vaccination

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps Public Health England is taking to measure the uptake of Green Book recommended immunisations among adult patients in clinical risk groups.

Steve Brine: Data on patients within clinical ‘at risk’ groups are held on general practice (GP) systems, within the personal patient records. The same systems are used to record vaccinations when given. Public Health England uses GP data to monitor uptake for vaccines recommended for adults in accordance with the Green Book. These include periodic analyses of uptake among at risk groups. Uptake reports are published weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually depending on the programme and can be found on:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake

Contraceptives

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information her Department holds on how many occasions ellaOne, ulipristal acetate 30 mg tablet, has been sold in the UK in 2016.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will undertake a review of the potential abortifacient effect of ellaOne, the ulipristal acetate 30 mg tablet; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to conduct controlled studies into the effects of ellaOne in pregnant women; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine: During the time period 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016, it is estimated that approximately 90,500 tablets of ellaOne 30mg were dispensed against a prescription in pharmacies in the United Kingdom. In addition, it is estimated that there were a further 39,000 tablets of ellaOne 30mg purchased ‘over the counter’ in pharmacies (i.e. without a prescription) in the United Kingdom during the same time period. This usage data does not capture provision of ellaOne via family planning clinics or stock ordered directly from the manufacturer, via other hospitals or other wholesalers not captured by the database, and therefore some usage for ellaOne will not be included in these figures. For these reasons, the data should be interpreted with caution. The source of this data is MIDAS Quintiles. EllaOne is an ulipristal acetate-containing emergency hormonal contraceptive that is licensed for use within five days of unprotected sexual intercourse or contraceptive failure. It is classified as a female emergency contraceptive; it is not an abortifacient. It exerts its contraceptive action by preventing or delaying ovulation. EllaOne has never been studied as an abortifacient. It is not intended for use during pregnancy and should not be taken by any woman suspected or known to be pregnant. Following a High Court ruling in 2002, emergency contraception is a method of contraception not abortion. The decision confirms the Government’s long held position that a pregnancy begins at implantation and not fertilisation. This judgment means that this position is now established in law and is not a matter of policy. As with all other licensed medicines, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) keeps the safety of ellaOne under close review using a wide number of data sources. These include reports of suspected adverse drug reactions which include pregnancies; spontaneously provided by health professionals and patients through the ‘Yellow Card scheme’. Other sources of data that the MHRA reviews on a regular basis, and which may include information on safety and/or lack of efficacy or inappropriate use, include periodic safety update reports, renewals and variations to product licences. The MHRA also reviews important published medical literature and the results of any new clinical trials or epidemiological studies as they become available. As with all marketed medicines, the MHRA will continue to monitor the use of ellaOne. In the event that these monitoring processes identify information that suggest that ellaOne is used outside of its licensed indication, advice will be sought from the Commission on Human Medicines and its expert advisory groups. There are post-marketing regulatory measures in place to ensure that ellaOne is used as safely as possible. These measures include a European Union-wide pregnancy registry which collects data on pregnancy outcomes (including pregnancy maintenance and effects on the foetus or newborn) following exposure to ellaOne for any reason. The registry is available at the following link:www.hra-pregnancy-registry.comWomen and healthcare professionals involved in the care of pregnant women are asked to report ellaOne exposed pregnancies to the registry via the ellaOne prescribing information and patient leaflet, as well as via yearly letters sent by the marketing authorisation holder. Abortion clinics in particular are requested to ensure that every pregnant woman is asked whether she has taken emergency contraception and if so, to specify which product. The world-wide data available to date, including data from the EU pregnancy registry, do not suggest any safety concerns following exposure to ellaOne during pregnancy.

Abortion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons guidance for doctors completing the HSA4 form states that recording the NHS number is optional when abortion providers are mandated by the NHS Number Programme Implementation Policy 2008 to record the NHS numbers for their patients.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Registered Medical Practitioners (RMP) are legally required, under the Abortion Act 1967, as amended, to notify the Chief Medical Officer of every abortion performed in England and Wales on form HSA4. The forms are used to check that abortions are performed legally and for the compilation of abortion statistics. The recording of the patient’s National Health Service number is not necessary for this purpose. However, the RMP must provide a patient reference number that can identify the patient. This could be the patient’s hospital/clinic number or their NHS number. If a patient reference number is not available, the patient’s full name should be recorded on the HSA4 form.

Abortion: Nurses

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has undertaken an assessment of the potential effect on the wellbeing of NHS nursing staff of their involvement in the provision of late-term abortions; and if he will make a statement.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the potential effect on the wellbeing of National Health Service nursing staff of their involvement in the provision of late-term abortions. There is provision within the Abortion Act 1967 which provides for conscientious objection to participating in any treatment in the case of abortion. All employers have a duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees. It is for abortion providers to ensure that appropriate training, support and, if needed, counselling is available for all staff performing late term abortion.

Mental Health: Females

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the mental health of women of (a) experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and birth and (b) having an abortion.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department commissioned a multi-professional review of abortion and mental health following a recommendation from the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee in 2007. The report of the evidence-based review, Induced Abortion and Mental Health: A Systematic Review of the Mental Health Outcomes of Induced Abortion, including their prevalence and associated factors, was published in December 2011. A copy of the review report is available at:http://www.aomrc.org.uk/publications/reports-guidance/induced-abortion-mental-health-1211/

Abortion Act 1967

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will undertake an assessment of the compatibility of the Abortion Act 1967 with Article 3 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The United Kingdom Government considers the Abortion Act 1967 to be compatible with Article 3 of the United Nation’s Declaration on Human Rights. The UN has recognised women’s rights to access safe legal abortion services.

Contraceptives: Research

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has carried out or commissioned recent research into the potential effect of the repeated use of the morning after pill on women.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including contraception; it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. In all areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity. The NIHR does not currently fund research on the potential effect of repeated use of the morning after pill.

Abortion: Northern Ireland

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether minors resident in Northern Ireland who are eligible for free travel under the extension of the Government's Northern Ireland abortion scheme are required to have permission from their parents before travelling to procure an abortion in England.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the extension of the Government's Northern Ireland abortion scheme, whether the Government plans to cover the costs of minors resident in Northern Ireland to travel and procure abortions in England.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Government plans to ensure that arrangements for free travel for women, including minors, travelling to England from Northern Ireland to undergo an abortion will reflect the system which applies in England. Therefore, the arrangements to provide abortions in England for women from Northern Ireland will include travel and, where appropriate, accommodation for all those who meet the appropriate eligibility criteria. Under 16s can access sexual health care without parental consent, provided the criteria as set out in Gillick v West Norfolk and Wisbech Area Health Authority (1985) are met.

Gender Selection: Northern Ireland

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the prevalence of gender-selective abortion in the UK.

Jackie Doyle-Price: In August 2015, the Department published an ‘Assessment of termination of pregnancy on grounds of the sex of the foetus’ on the gov.uk website at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/abortion-on-grounds-of-sex-of-the-foetusA further analysis of birth ratios in Great Britain was published on the gov.uk website in October 2017 at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/gender-ratios-at-birth-in-great-britain-2011-to-2015No substantiated evidence was found of gender selective abortions taking place in Britain. The Department will continue to monitor this issue closely through repeating the analysis of birth ratios annually, and working with other government departments and researchers. This includes collaborating with a successful applicant to the Economic and Social Research Council on research into son preference and sex selection against females in the United Kingdom, which will look at evidence, causes, trends and implications.

Generic Prescribing: Shortages

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons there was insufficient stock to confer No Cheaper Stock Obtainable (NCSO) status on a 28 pack of 5mg Amlodipine.

Steve Brine: In November the market price of amlodipine 5mg tablets was above the reimbursement price listed in the Drug Tariff, therefore the Secretary of State for Health granted a concessionary price. Supplies of amlodipine 5mg remain available from several suppliers.

Mental Illness: Children

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2017 to Question 118225, on Mental Illness: Children, where the information is held.

Jackie Doyle-Price: This information is not held centrally in the format requested, however there are some relevant studies, including: - The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2014 published its report in 2016 and 7,500 people aged 16 or more were interviewed. Although the content in the published report did not include an analysis of the correlation between child sexual abuse and mental health prevalence, questions on the experience of sexual abuse were included in the questionnaires and are therefore present in the full dataset. The Report is available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB21748 - Child sexual abuse reported by an English national sample: characteristics and demography (2011) examined the general prevalence and demography of Child Sexual Abuse in England: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20544176 - Sexual abuse and psychiatric disorder in England: results from the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (2011) examined the links between Child Sexual Abuse and general psychiatric outcomes in adulthood: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20534178 - Childhood sexual abuse and psychosis: data from a cross-sectional national psychiatric survey in England (2011) explored the relationship between Child Sexual Abuse and psychosis: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/1/29 - Why are suicidal thoughts less prevalent in older age groups? Age differences in the correlates of suicidal thoughts in the English Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2007 (2015) examined the relationship between Child Sexual Abuse and mental disorder into late life: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25745834

Department of Health: Public Expenditure

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which fruitless payments in excess of £30,000 his Department has made by (a) recipient of each such payment, (b) purpose of each such payment, (c) value of each such payment and (d) reason that payment was classified as fruitless in the 2017-18 financial year to date.

Mr Philip Dunne: No fruitless payments in excess of £30,000 have been made in 2017-18 financial year to date.

North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust: Resignations

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) doctors, (b) nurses) and (c) ancillary healthcare staff left their posts at the North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust in each of the last five years.

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) ancillary healthcare staff have been recruited by the North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust in each of the last five years.

Mr Philip Dunne: NHS Digital publishes workforce statistics and the following table shows the number of joiners and leavers for Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) doctors, nurses, and ancillary healthcare staff at North Cumbria University Hospitals National Health Service Trust at 31 August each year from 2012 to 2017. NHS HCHS: Doctors, nurses and ancillary healthcare staff as at 31 August each specified year (Headcount).  August 2012-13August 2013-14August 2014-15August 2015-16August 2016-17HCHS doctors Joiners157148127140183Leavers146174135145152Nurses Joiners156140121123136Leavers98136118133143Ancillary healthcare staff Joiners1411102513Leavers18155988Source: NHS Digital workforce statisticsNote: High leaver figures in the ancillary healthcare staff group between August 2013 and August 2014 are due to recoding of staff in the Trust.

North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust: Vacancies

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many current vacancies there are for (a) doctors, (b) nurses) and (c) ancillary healthcare staff at the North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Mr Philip Dunne: The information is not available in the format requested. Health Education England latest estimates of staff shortages and the plan for tackling these issues is set out in their ‘Facing the Facts, Shaping the Future, A draft health and care workforce strategy for England to 2027’ published this month. NHS Digital publishes the number of vacancies that are advertised on NHS Jobs, the dedicated online recruitment service for the National Health Service. However, as the basis of the figures is the number of vacancies advertised for the first time in each given month, it is not possible to determine from these figures the number of vacancies live at any given point in time. The figures only cover those vacancies advertised via NHS Jobs, and it is not always possible to determine how many posts are associated with any given advertisement. The published figures are at the Health Education England region and do not go to the level of individual trusts. The latest figures are available at the following link: www.digital.nhs.uk/media/31747/NHS-Vacancy-Statistics-England-February-2015-March-2017-Provisional-Experimental-Statistics-Tables/default/nhs-vac-stats-feb15-mar17-eng-tables

Prescriptions: Universal Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answers of the 15 November and 4 December 2017 Questions 112444, 116407 and 116409, on which date free prescription forms will be amended to include universal credit; and if he will urgently issue instructions to staff so that they do not require that universal credit claimants to declare that they are in receipt of a benefit which has not been awarded to them but instead to advise those claimants that any box on the prescription form can be ticked with the words next to it crossed out and universal credit written in their place until that benefit is named on revised prescription forms.

Steve Brine: The Department cannot yet confirm an exact date for the revised FP10 (National Health Service prescription form) coming into circulation. The new form will be printed in 2018 and will be circulated as soon as it becomes available. Universal Credit claimants who meet prescribed thresholds for free prescriptions must tick the box entitled, “gets income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance”. The post exemption checking service at the NHS Business Services Authority cannot recognise Universal Credit claimants as being entitled to free prescriptions if they tick an alternative exemption category on the FP10 prescription form. If they did so, a Penalty Charge Notice could be issued. The current prescription exemption checking service that is in place at the NHS Business Services Authority allows the NHS to effectively tackle prescription fraud and error made by patients, and recover associated monies for the NHS. The Department will not make any changes to these arrangements at this time.

NHS Walk-in Centres

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people visited an NHS walk-in centre in each year since 2004-05.

Mr Philip Dunne: This information is not available in the format requested. Walk-in centre attendances are captured within the ‘type 3’ attendance measure published as part of NHS England’s monthly reports on accident and emergency attendances and admissions, which can be found online at the following address: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ The published figure also includes numbers of attendances at minor injury units, urgent care centres and other types of accident and emergency facility.

NHS: Private Sector

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of the NHS budget has been spent (a) in the private sector and (b) on contracts awarded to the private sector since May 2010.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times he has met representatives of private healthcare providers since May 2010.

Mr Philip Dunne: The table below shows National Health Service commissioner spend on non-NHS bodies including those from the private sector.NHS Commissioners' spend on non NHS bodies by organisation type2009/102010/112011/122012/132013/142014/152015/16 (restated)2016/17 £ million£ million£ million£ million£ million£ million£ million£ million Other independent sector13,7574,3764,9155,249Independent Service Treatment Centres2387381405420Total spend on independent sector1,24,1444,7575,3205,6696,4678,0678,8189,007Voluntary sector3554594597543510526545757Local authorities42,7293,0852,6392,7722,4731,7742,8692,909Devolved Administrations5   73Total spend on all non NHS bodies1,2,3,4,57,4278,4368,5568,9849,45010,36712,23212,746Total NHS revenue expenditure94,42297,469100,266102,570106,495110,554114,730117,006Spend on independent sector as a % of total NHS revenue spend4.4%4.9%5.3%5.5%6.1%7.3%7.7%7.7% Notes:1The numbers above have been collected separately from audited accounts data and may include estimations. 2Numbers shown in the table above have been adjusted to show the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) impact of the spending. This adjustment specifically relates to Continuing Health Care provisions which are attributed to expenditure in accounts as provisions arise but only impact on the DEL when paid. 3NHS England has carried out further validation work on the 2015/16 numbers previously reported and restated some categorisations. 4NHS England and the Department have made changes to the categories for 2016/17. The Voluntary Sector category now includes other not for profit organisations who have social objectives for the benefit of the wider community, such as Community Interest Companies. A new category has also been included for devolved administrations. The Department adheres to transparent Government guidelines and publishes quarterly returns on Ministerial meetings with external organisations. The data for 2011 onwards is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings Similar information for 2010 is available here: https://data.gov.uk/dataset/department-of-health-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-overseas-travel-and-meetings-with-external-o

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent in (a) cash and (b) real terms on child and adolescent mental health services per young person in England in each of the last five years.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent in (a) cash and (b) real terms on mental health services per head of population in England in each of the last five years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Spend per head information is not currently available. However, NHS England has advised that consideration is being given to including this in a future iteration of the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health dashboard.

Hospitals

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which hospitals he or Ministers of his Department have visited in an official capacity in 2017; and what the date was of each such visit.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which primary care services he or Ministers of his Department have visited in an official capacity in 2016; and what the date was of each such visit.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which residential and nursing homes he or Ministers of his Department have visited in an official capacity in 2016; and what the date was of each such visit.

Mr Philip Dunne: This information requested is attached.



PQ120103,105,106 attached doc.
(Word Document, 27.49 KB)

Cancer: Health Services

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to ensure that the increases in the number of staff recruited as a result of the Government’s cancer plan are in line with local implementation plans so as to guarantee equality of provision across the country.

Mr Philip Dunne: On 5 December 2017 Health Education England (HEE) published its Cancer Workforce Plan. The plan outlined how HEE working with other arm’s length bodies will lead the workforce planning process for cancer at a national and local level. Workforce plans are to be submitted as part of, and aligned to Operational and Sustainability Transformation Plans (STPs) by March 2018 (unless otherwise agreed). STPs bring National Health Service providers, commissioners, local authorities, and other health and care services together to propose how they, at local level, can improve the way that health and care is planned and delivered in a more person-centred and coordinated way. To support this process, HEE will share regional data and host a national peer-learning event in January 2018 between Cancer Alliances and local HEE teams.

Coeliac Disease: Prescriptions

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of the 16 November 2017 to Question 112718, what the timetable is for the publication of a response to the consultation on the availability of gluten free foods.

Steve Brine: It is anticipated that the consultation response will be published early in the new year.

Emergency Calls: Newham

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the number of 999 calls made in the London Borough of Newham in (a) each December and (b) each January since 2010.

Mr Philip Dunne: This information is not held centrally. Data about emergency calls broken down by ambulance service, including volumes of calls answered, is published monthly by NHS England and can be found online at the following address:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/

Rickets: Carnforth

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has received any reports of rickets in the Carnforth area in the last five years.

Steve Brine: Information is not held in the format requested. The information available is shown in the table below. This shows a count of finished consultant episodes with a primary or secondary diagnosis of rickets, for the Lancashire Area Team of treatment, for the financial years between 2012/13 and 2016/17. The Lancashire Area Team of treatment includes the Carnforth area. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care in the same year. Financial year2012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17Lancashire Area Team of Treatment107575 Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS Digital

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy Intensive Industries

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2017 to Question 116715, if he will list the levies that were imposed on non-exempted industries and consumers as a result of compensation paid to Energy Intensive Industries in respect of payments under (a) Contracts for Difference under the Electricity Supplier Obligations (Amendment & Excluded Electricity) Regulations 2015 and (b) the Renewables Obligation.

Claire Perry: The Supplier Obligation and Renewables Obligation impose respectively a levy and obligation on electricity suppliers. They do not impose a levy on electricity consumers. However, the Government assumes that the costs of the levy and obligation are passed on to consumers through electricity bills.Eligible energy intensive industries (EIIs) will be exempted from up to 85% of the costs of (a) the Contracts for Difference (CFD) and (b) the Renewables Obligation (RO). Both exemptions are expected to lead to an increase in bills for non-exempted industries and household consumers. In the case of the CFD exemption, this will be from November 2017, and in the case of the RO exemption, this will be from April 2018.Our estimates of the future impact of the CFD exemption on the bills of non-exempted industries and household consumers are set out in Annex A of the Government response to the 2016 consultation on this exemption. For example, we estimate that it will add around £1 to the average household electricity bill and around £3,200 to the bill of a business that is a medium energy user in 2020/21:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/593191/eiis-exemption-from-indirect-costs-cfd-government-response-to-consultation.pdfOur estimates of the future impact of the RO exemption on the bills of non-exempted industries and household consumers are set out in Tables 1 and 2 of the Government response to the 2016 consultation on this exemption. For example, we estimate that it will add around £2.30 a year to the average household electricity bill and around £6,700 a year to the bill of a business that is a medium energy user, on average, over the period 2017/18 to 2027/28:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/implementing-an-exemption-for-energy-intensive-industries-from-the-indirect-costs-of-the-ro-and-the-fitsPrior to the introduction of the RO exemption, BEIS is paying RO compensation to eligible EIIs, with the costs met by the taxpayer. Prior to the introduction of the CFD exemption, there was no equivalent compensation scheme in place.

Horizon 2020

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to encourage UK researchers to bid for Horizon 2020 funding.

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to encourage researchers to continue to make bids for Horizon 2020 funding.

Joseph Johnson: The Government wants the UK to be the go-to place for scientists, innovators and tech investors across the world. We intend to secure the right outcome for the UK research base as we exit the European Union. The joint report from the negotiators of the European Union and the United Kingdom Government approved by the European Council on 15 December stated that UK entities’ right to participate in EU programmes will be unaffected by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. This means that UK based organisations and individuals will be able to bid for funding, participate in and lead consortia, in 2019 and 2020, and will continue to receive funding for the lifetime of the project. It remains the case that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, which is why the Government’s underwrite guarantee remains in place. UK businesses and universities should continue to bid for competitive EU funds while we remain a member of the EU and we will work with the Commission to ensure payment when funds are awarded. The Government will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU.

Stem Cells: Research

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding his Department has allocated for embryonic stem cell research to date; and what estimate he has made of the number of such funded research projects involving embryonic stem cells which have yielded results clearly beneficial to public health.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy sets the overall budgets of the independent research councils, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and Innovate UK, which then allocate funds for individual grants and research organisations in line with the Haldane Principle The research councils have allocated the following funds to projects which include research related to embryonic stem cells. Note that projects have been included where relevant based on the information provided at the time of application. As projects may be refined following submission it is likely that some projects in the portfolio ultimately did not use embryonic tissue. Values are given as the total spend on grants that involve research using stem cells, but it may be that only a proportion of the research undertaken on a grant involves stem cells. Further information on individual projects can be found on the RCUK Gateway to Research, see: http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk  2010/112011/122012/132013/142014/152015/16BBSRC£3,000,000£4,300,000£4,100,000£4,000,000£3,800,000£4,200,000EPSRC£216,000£737,401£969,896£568,611£486,260£167,303MRC£7,639,000£6,886,000£6,190,000£5,642,000£6,128,000£5,711,000TOTAL£10,855,000£11,923.401£11,259,896£10,210,611£10,414,260£10,078,303Innovate UK has funded a number of projects directly involving embryonic stem cell R&D since 2007. FY commitmentGrant Committed2015/16£205,9592013/14£93,6872012/13£90,0672011/12£119,9372010/11£158,9912007/08£53,537Innovate UK has funded the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult to conduct embryonic stem cell research and latest updated figures show an investment of £700,000 across 2015/16 and 2016/17. Research Councils and Innovate UK collect information on project outcomes, but these are not explicitly assessed in terms of benefits to public health

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: ICT

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to implement the guidance set out by the Government Commercial Function in its paper entitled Exiting Major IT Contracts: Guidance for Departments, published in November 2017, in respect of (a) using market engagement, (b) setting up disaggregation work, (c) risk assessment, (d) developing a programme plan through the transition, (e) identifying the skills and capabilities that will be needed in the future and (f) any other work related to that guidance.

Margot James: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is embarked upon an ambitious transformation programme (Cirrus) for its technology. Cirrus covers the transition of up to 5,500 users from a variety of former departmental (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and Department of Energy and Climate Change) systems to a common technology structure. Cirrus will see the design of a new operating model and the procurement and commissioning of replacement services. This involves exit from approximately 50 contracts and move to new arrangements with approximately 100 smaller contracts and some in-house provision by 31 May 2018.The Government Commercial Function guidance paper arrived subsequent to the commencement of Cirrus planning, some of the principles contains within it are already well established in the Department.a) Market engagement – supplier days are held routinely pre-procurement to help shape requirements, ensure they are attractive to the market and are deliverable;b) Setting up disaggregation of work – lotting strategies are applied to disaggregate larger contracts and to open up opportunities to small businesses;c) Risk assessment – the department continues to develop its understanding and management of commercial risks as measured against the Government Commercial Operating Standards. In the case of Cirrus these risks are mitigated through the early involvement of the GDS and Cabinet Office complex transactions team in the programme together with the formation of a commercial strategy working group;d) Developing a programme plan through transition – The Cabinet Office complex transactions team has produced a plan for Cirrus which mapped the current contract landscape to the future state to support transition planning;e) Identifying the skills and capabilities that will be needed in the future - The Cabinet Office complex transactions team also made recommendations on the contract management resources required to manage Cirrus contacts. Recruitment of this resource will commence in January;f) Any other work related to that guidance – A new contract management strategy is currently being implemented in the department. The GCF guidance will be incorporated into this strategy for major IT contracts.

Energy Companies Obligation

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will provide assistance for those currently off-grid to receive the Energy Company Obligation.

Richard Harrington: Households off the gas grid already receive assistance under the Energy Company Obligation and there are incentives within the scheme to deliver measures to off-gas grid homes.Early next year we intend to consult on proposals for the future Energy Company Obligation which are expected to run from October 2018 to March 2022.

European Space Agency

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the relationship between the UK and the European Space Agency will be after the UK leaves the EU.

Joseph Johnson: The European Space Agency is a membership organisation independent of the European Union. I demonstrated my continuing support for collaboration within the European Space Agency (ESA) through an investment of €1.4bn made at the ESA Ministerial meeting in Lucerne in December 2016.

Galileo System

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he plans to take to ensure that UK firms with contracts on the Galileo Satellite program can retain them after the UK leaves the EU.

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress he has made on establishing a new security accord with the EU to ensure continued access to the Galileo Satellite system’s encrypted services after the UK leaves the EU.

Joseph Johnson: This Government intends to secure the best possible outcome for the UK as we exit the European Union. The UK has played a major part in developing the main EU space programmes including Galileo. The Government has made clear that the EU and the UK should consider all options, including new arrangements, to ensure our future cooperation on space maintains our security and supports mutual prosperity; however it is too early to speculate on the UK’s future relationship with specific EU programmes and the Government will not be providing a commentary on each aspect of the negotiations.

Home Energy and Lifestyle Management: Scotland

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many households in (a) Kilmarnock and Loudoun and (b) Scotland have accessed green deal finance through Home Energy Lifestyle Management Systems.

Claire Perry: Since the start of the Green Deal in 2013, live Green Deal plans have been provided by Home Energy Lifestyle Management Systems in 162 homes in Kilmarnock and Loudoun and 3,054 homes in Scotland.

Home Energy and Lifestyle Management

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of households that had PV panels incorporated into their green deal finance package by the company Home Energy Lifestyle Management Systems; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: Since the start of the Green Deal in 2013, photovoltaics were installed in 4,263 homes through Green Deal plans provided by Home Energy Lifestyle Management Systems (HELMS). The company HELMS has since been dissolved, following liquidation.

Environment Protection: Shipping

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government plans to take by 2023 to introduce a decarbonisation strategy for the shipping industry which complies with the (a) mandatory and (b) voluntary obligations in the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Claire Perry: The UK is fully committed to fulfilling our obligations to the Paris Agreement in all sectors. Our strategy for the shipping industry is led by the Department for Transport. The UK has been an active participant in negotiations on the development of an International Maritime Organisation strategy on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The initial strategy is due to be adopted in April 2018 and revised in 2023. UK priorities are that the strategy sets a level of ambition for the sector consistent with the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change. It should contain a range of short, mid- and long-term measures, some of which will be mandatory. The UK will continue to push for a credible and ambitious outcome in discussions at the International Maritime Organisation.

Natural Gas: Prices

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect on the cost of gas to households in (a) Stockton North, (b) the North East England and (c) the UK of the emergency closure of the Forties pipeline.

Richard Harrington: The UK benefits from a diverse source of gas supplies and there are no gas security of supply concerns from Forties being offline. While wholesale gas prices rose initially they have since fallen. Energy suppliers typically buy their energy well in advance, limiting the impact of any temporary rise in prices on consumers.

Offshore Industry: Employment

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the emergency closure of the Forties pipeline on employment in continental shelf installations.

Richard Harrington: The temporary closure of the Forties Pipeline System (FPS) is not expected to have an impact on the numbers of people employed on installations within the UK Continental Shelf. Although the temporary closure will have a short-term impact on production for those assets utilising the FPS, industry is not anticipating any adverse impacts on offshore employment.Ministers and the Department are in regular contact with Ineos.

Non-domestic Rates: Liverpool City Region

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on giving the Liverpool City Region Mayor the power to place a supplement on business rates to fund infrastructure in that region.

Margot James: The Government is committed to ensuring that the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has the appropriate powers to help promote local growth, and we are considering the most effective way to deliver those powers.

Helium: Prices

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2017 to Question 118525, for what reasons his Department has not made an assessment of the changes in the cost of the price of liquid helium in the last 10 years.

Claire Perry: The price of liquid helium is governed by the normal operation of market forces and we have not considered it necessary to instigate a specific assessment or study of the cost of this product over the last ten years.

Competition and Markets Authority: Public Interest

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including a public interest test in the regulatory framework for decisions of the Competition and Markets Authority.

Margot James: Under the Enterprise Act 2002, decisions on public interest interventions are matters for Ministers. Public interest interventions can be made in cases that raise concerns in relation to national security, financial stability and media plurality.

Small Businesses: Productivity

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the terms of reference for the SME productivity review will be.

Margot James: The review will focus on what actions could be most effective in improving productivity and growth of SMEs, including how to address what has been called ‘long tail’ of lower productivity firms. We will announce the terms of reference in 2018.

Competition and Markets Authority

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the work of the Competition and Markets Authority.

Margot James: The Government is working closely with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to understand the implications on its work of the UK leaving the EU. The Government will continue to work with the CMA on this as the negotiations with the EU proceed.

Artificial Intelligence

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what criteria the Government used when deciding the six priority areas for the Office of Artificial Intelligence.

Claire Perry: A number of factors were considered in identifying initial areas for the Office of Artificial Intelligence including importance to the UK economy, apparent readiness to benefit from artificial intelligence, and where we consider government involvement supporting take-up of AI can help drive benefits for industry or consumers. AI is already transforming business models across many sectors of the UK economy and Government collaboration with academia and industry to encourage realisation of the benefits of AI will not be limited to the 6 initial priority sectors.Once established, the Office for AI will take forward some of the recommendations of the recently published review – “Growing the artificial intelligence industry in the UK”, published in October 2017 – through the AI Sector Deal, which we hope to publish early in 2018.

Industry

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the (a) remit, (b) membership and (c) reporting requirements of the future sectors team as part of the industrial strategy will be.

Claire Perry: The new Future Sectors Team will lead work to grow sectors that are developing and using the technologies and business models of the future, such as robotics and artificial intelligence. The team will be established in BEIS with progress reported as part of the Departmental Business Plan. A new independent Industrial Strategy Council will also develop measures to assess and evaluate our Industrial Strategy and make recommendations to the Government.

Industry

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Government's Industrial Strategy, how the Department defines world-leading as it applies to (a) technologies and (b) industries.

Claire Perry: Our ambitious industrial strategy sets out a long term plan to boost the productivity and earning power of people throughout the UK by investing in research and development The term ‘world leading’ is generally used to describe specific areas where a global leadership position exists. In relation to the Government’s Industrial Strategy, the term ‘world leading’ has been applied to technologies and industries where the UK has a global leadership position in a specific industry or technology.

Artificial Intelligence

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to enable private sector companies to manage the risks associated with artificial intelligence.

Claire Perry: Following Wendy Hall and Jerome Pesenti’s review of artificial intelligence, “Growing the artificial intelligence industry in the UK”, published in October 2017, we are creating an AI Council to promote and oversee strategic coordination of AI across the UK. Part of this framework includes a Centre for Data and Ethics to oversee issues facing companies who do business digitally. We recognise the need for UK regulation to keep pace with new technology: we want more regulators to work creatively with startups and we have taken steps to encourage this via a new £10million Regulatory Pioneers Fund.

Artificial Intelligence

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the six priority areas for the Office of Artificial Intelligence to include financial services.

Claire Perry: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already transforming business models across many sectors of the UK economy and Government collaboration with academia and industry to encourage realisation of the benefits of AI will not be limited to the 6 initial priority sectors. We recognise the importance of the financial services sector and the role research and development can have in managing, seeking, and providing finance in both personal and business banking. Tech in the financial sector is currently overseen by HM Treasury. However, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, together with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, work closely across Government, academia and industry, to ensure the sector is represented, including through the joint Ministerial and industry-led Digital Economy Council. As announced in November’s budget, Government is providing £75m to AI and this includes globally pioneering action to establish a new Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation; facilitating data access through Data Trusts; and supporting 450 PhDs over three years in a new fellowship programme. And we are committed to working closely with industry and academia on the Artificial Intelligence Grand Challenge and Sector Deal which we hope to publish early in 2018.

Electronic Equipment: Counterfeit Manufacturing

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to stop the sale of fake branded electronics which may cause fires.

Joseph Johnson: The Government works in partnership with industry and law enforcement to reduce the supply to consumers of all forms of counterfeit goods. The Intellectual Property Office’s intelligence hub supports intellectual property (IP) enforcement activity undertaken by regional Trading Standards teams, the Police IP Crime Unit and Border Force. Recent work has focussed on tackling the supply of illicit streaming devices, which are known to present a substantial fire and electrical shock risk.

Money Laundering

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to identify (a) the incorporation of legal entities not within the scope of the persons of significant control regime and (b) other such money laundering risks related to trends in company activity.

Margot James: Legal entities not in scope of the persons of significant control regime are entities which are outside the UK’s framework of company and partnership law. The relevant incorporation rules will be set in the relevant legislation. They may be subject to separate regulatory process and oversight, for example by the Charities Commission or the Financial Reporting Council, or exist by will of Parliament, such as legal entities in the health and education sectors and other government arm’s length bodies.The UK’s most recent National Risk Assessment was published on 26 October 2017.

Companies: Ownership

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to identify and implement measures to verify beneficial ownership information submitted by offshore corporate partners.

Margot James: Companies House undertakes numerous checks on the validity of information, both at incorporation and throughout the life of the company as new information is submitted. They work very closely with other law enforcement agencies analysing data and patterns to identify suspicious behaviour.

Companies

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to facilitate the tracing of who is setting up and administering UK companies.

Margot James: The Money Laundering Regulations 2017 established specific obligations upon trust or company service providers, requiring such entities carrying on business in the UK to be subject to a fitness and propriety test, and to register with either Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs or the Financial Conduct Authority. The Government will also shortly formally establish the Office for Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering Supervision within the Financial Conduct Authority. This will work to ensure consistently high standards of anti-money laundering supervision by professional bodies, including of TCSPs.

New Businesses

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the powers of Companies House to (a) undertake due diligence on individuals seeking to incorporate new companies and (b) combat the risk of legal entities being incorporated for money launderers.

Margot James: The Registrar of Companies (Companies House) has a statutory obligation to incorporate a new company on receipt of a validly completed application. When registering a new company, the Registrar is carrying out a function of the state on behalf of the Government.Companies House undertakes numerous checks on the validity of information, both at incorporation and throughout the life of the company as new information is submitted. They work very closely with other law enforcement agencies analysing data and patterns to identify suspicious behaviour.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Non-departmental Public Bodies

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what bodies for which his Department is responsible are required to lay reports before Parliament.

Harriett Baldwin: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 15 December 2017.The correct answer should have been:

The following entities which come within the Ministry of Defence (MOD) boundary are required to lay reports before Parliament: Armed Forces' Pay Review BodyDefence Equipment and SupportDefence Electronics and Components AgencyDefence Science and Technology LaboratoryGreenwich Hospital and Travers FoundationNational Army MuseumNational Employer Advisory BoardNational Museum of the Royal NavyReserve Forces and Cadets AssociationsRoyal Air Force MuseumRoyal Hospital ChelseaService Complaints OmbudsmanSingle Source Regulations OfficeUnited Kingdom Hydrographic Office A list of the bodies for which the MOD is responsible can be found on the gov.uk website and in the MOD Annual Report and Accounts 2016-17 (HC 21) at Note 22.

Harriett Baldwin: The following entities which come within the Ministry of Defence (MOD) boundary are required to lay reports before Parliament: Armed Forces' Pay Review BodyDefence Equipment and SupportDefence Electronics and Components AgencyDefence Science and Technology LaboratoryGreenwich Hospital and Travers FoundationNational Army MuseumNational Employer Advisory BoardNational Museum of the Royal NavyReserve Forces and Cadets AssociationsRoyal Air Force MuseumRoyal Hospital ChelseaService Complaints OmbudsmanSingle Source Regulations OfficeUnited Kingdom Hydrographic Office A list of the bodies for which the MOD is responsible can be found on the gov.uk website and in the MOD Annual Report and Accounts 2016-17 (HC 21) at Note 22.

Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if his Department will commemorate the contribution of the White Helmet Motor Cycle Team to defence.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence recognises the contribution made by the Royal Corps of Signals White Helmets over many years. The White Helmets' impressive displays have been seen by thousands of people at home and abroad. Their final show in September was a fitting celebration of the team's achievements. There is a permanent display within the Royal Signals Museum dedicated to them.

Ministry of Defence: EU Nationals

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many non-UK EU nationals started employment in his Department since 23 June 2016.

Mark Lancaster: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 October 2016 to Question 47411 to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Mr McCabe).



47411 - MOD Migrant Workers
(Word Document, 13.36 KB)

Navy: Military Aircraft

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Naval Air Squadrons are scheduled for (a) disbandment and (b) merger; what the timetables are for those disbandments and mergers; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: As part of preparations to operate from the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers, including the arrival of the Crowsnest surveillance system, we continue to develop the optimum structure of the Merlin Helicopter Force. Current planning assumptions are that 829 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) will decommission in 2018. All three 829 NAS Flights (personnel and aircraft ) will be re-distributed across the other Merlin Helicopter Force Squadrons. The overall size of the force structure is planned to remain the same.

Submarines

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many days during 2017 there were no (a) Astute class submarines, (b) Trafalgar class submarines and (c) submarines of any class available for patrol.

Mark Lancaster: There are three Astute Class and three Trafalgar Class submarines currently in service at various stages of their operating cycle.It is UK policy that we do not comment on matters relating to submarine activity or operations as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Ministry of Defence: Public Expenditure

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which fruitless payments in excess of £30,000 his Department has made by (a) recipient of each such payment, (b) purpose of each such payment, (c) value of each such payment and (d) reason that payment was classified as fruitless in the 2017-18 financial year to date.

Harriett Baldwin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by by right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence (Gavin Williamson) on 29 November 2017 to Question 115305.



115305 - WQnA extract on MOD Public Expenditure
(Word Document, 13.35 KB)

Helicopter Carriers and Amphibious Vehicles

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the role is of the lading platform (a) helicopter and (b) dock; and what differences to their operability there are when used (i) within and (ii) outwith an amphibious task group.

Mark Lancaster: Within an Amphibious Task Group, the Landing Platform Helicopter delivers troops ashore by helicopter and landing craft. The Landing Platform Dock provides afloat command and control facilities required to deploy and sustain the Lead Commando Group ashore. Both also fulfill a variety of roles in support of wider Royal Navy operations, from warfighting to humanitarian and disaster relief.It was stated in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 that a Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier would be enhanced to support our amphibious capability. Together with the existing amphibious ships of the Royal Navy and the Bay Class ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, this will provide the capability to deploy our amphibious forces and support Royal Navy operations.

Army

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) establishment and (b) strength is of the Public Duties Incremental Companies.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The establishment and current strength of the infantry cap badge personnel at regimental duty within the Public Duties Incremental Companies as at 1 October 2017 is given below. RegimentEstablishmentStrengthNijmegen Company, Grenadier Guards93907 Company, Coldstream Guards93100F Company, Scots Guards9390Balaklava Company, Royal Regiment of Scotland9990 Notes:The establishment data is a single service estimate and reflects the role of the units as under Army 2020.Current strengths have been provided by Defence Statistics and have been rounded to 10 for presentational purposes; numbers ending in "5" have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.Regimental duty is defined as personnel serving in a regimental unit.Establishment and strength data do not include attached personnel from other arms and corps. Nor do they include personnel at extra regimental employment in posts away from their parent unit.

Air Force: Military Intelligence

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which elements of 1 ISR Wing will be relocating from RAF Waddington to RAF Wyton; when that relocation is planned to take place; whether 1 ISR Wing will remain headquartered at RAF Waddington after that relocation; whether the Crossbow capability will remain located at RAF Marham; and when any outstanding decisions on those matters will be taken and made publicly available.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The move of 1 ISR Squadron, including Crossbow Flight, from RAF Marham to RAF Wyton was completed in April 2017. There are no plans to move 1 ISR Wing Headquarters from RAF Waddington.

Warships: Repairs and Maintenance

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of products purchased by the Royal Navy from (a) Screwfix, (b) Halfords, (c) Wickes, (d) Maplin and (e) HSS Tool Hire broken down by vessel or unit in each of the last 3 years.

Harriett Baldwin: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Type 26 Frigates

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the decision making process was for choosing names for the new city class Type 26 frigates and when he expects further names to be released.

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what representations his Department has received on the naming of one of the new city class Type 26 frigates HMS Exeter.

Harriett Baldwin: The name of a new ship or a class of ship are proposed by the Royal Navy's Ships' Names and Badges Committee. The Committee presents their recommendations to the Navy Board, and the name(s) chosen by the Board are forwarded to the Secretary of State for Defence before being submitted to Her Majesty the Queen for approval.The Ministry of Defence has received a large number of representations from individuals and groups proposing the name HMS EXETER for one of the Royal Navy's eight Type 26 Frigates. So far, two ships have been named HMS GLASGOW and HMS BELFAST. The remaining names will be announced at appropriate opportunities in the future.

Military Aircraft: Repairs and Maintenance

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been spent by the RAF from the public purse with (a) Halfords, (b) Screwfix, (c) Wickes, (d) HSS Tool Hire and (e) Maplin by accounting unit in each of the last three years.

Harriett Baldwin: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost of the (a) development and (b) delivery of the Watchkeeper unmanned air vehicle programme.

Harriett Baldwin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 November 2017 to Question 113627 to the hon. Member for West Dumbartonshire (Mr Docherty-Hughes).



113627 - Unmanned Air Vehicles
(Word Document, 13.64 KB)

Department for Communities and Local Government

Mobile Homes

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of the affordable residential pitches (a) started and (b) completed on Traveller sites in each local authority area under the 2015 to 2018 Affordable Homes Programme represent additional pitch provision.

Alok Sharma: The table below shows the number of new affordable residential pitches (a) started and (b) completed on traveller sites in each local authority area under the 2015-18 Affordable Homes Programme. All other local authority areas not listed in this table show a nil-return.Local Authority a) Started pitches b) Completed pitchesCentral Bedfordshire22Darlington2222Harlow1212Solihull70Total4336**36 total relates to the total amount of completed pitches in the programme of the 2015-18 Affordable Homes programme.However, the Government only collects information on new provisions and does not record net gain in new pitches.

Housing: Construction

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding from the public purse has been spent to date on building starter homes.

Alok Sharma: The 2017 Autumn Budget confirmed that, in addition to the £15 billion of new funding available for housing, there remains funding for the Starter Home Land Fund which has a gross expenditure budget of up to £1.2 billion over the Spending Review period. This is only one of the measures we have put in place to support first time buyers. We are also helping first time buyers to get onto the property ladder through the Help to Buy equity loan, additional affordable housing funding for shared ownership and rent to buy, and the stamp duty exemption announced in the Autumn Budget.

Temporary Accommodation

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much of the £100 million announced in Budget 2016 to deliver 2,000 low-cost second stage accommodation for rough sleepers and domestic abuse victims has been allocated; and how many such units of accommodation have been built.

Mr Marcus Jones: Holding answer received on 13 December 2017



The Greater London Authority were in a position, working with the Department for Communities and Local Government, to quickly mobilise with the fund and so the fund has already been launched there. Details of the bidding process in London have been announced. Information can be found at:https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/ahp_2016-21_move-on_further_guidance.pdfWe are working with providers and key stakeholders in the homelessness and domestic abuse sectors to inform the roll-out of a fund for the rest of England. Further details will be available in due course.This builds on the work of our £50 million Homelessness Prevention Programme which has funded 84 projects across England to deliver an end-to-end approach to homelessness prevention. For victims of domestic abuse we have announced 80 projects across the country will receive a share of the 2016-18 £20 million fund to support victims of domestic abuse, creating more than 2,200 bed spaces and giving support, including for move on, to over 19,000 victims.

Leasehold: Unfair Practices

James Frith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to publish the findings of his Department's consultation on tackling unfair practices in the leasehold market, which closed on 19 September 2017.

Alok Sharma: I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made today by the Secretary of State (HCWS384).http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2017-12-21/HCWS384/

Private Rented Housing: Natural Gas

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what discussions has he had with the Health and Safety Executive on the efficacy of landlords' gas safety checks being conducted without equipment to test for carbon monoxide.

Alok Sharma: The Health and Safety Executive is part of a Cross Government Group including the Department for Communities and Local Government, which promotes a joined up approach across Government on carbon monoxide safety policy.The Health and Safety Executive’s Approved Code of Practice (L56) sets out the minimum requirements for a gas safety check. This focuses on ensuring the appliance burns properly, that there is adequate ventilation and the effectiveness of the flue associated with the appliance rather than specifying the use of equipment to test for carbon monoxide.

Department for Communities and Local Government: Families

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2017 to Question HL3576, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen families.

Mr Marcus Jones: This Government wants to fix the broken housing market to help more ordinary working families buy an affordable home and to give people the security they need to be able to plan for the future. Fundamentally, this means building many more houses in the places that people want to live and getting a fairer deal for renters.At the heart of this Government's policy on housing is our commitment to help hard working families who are just about managing to get by, and to ensure that the housing market is fairer for those who don't own their own home.My Department also oversees the Troubled Families Programme which supports early intervention to prevent family breakdown. We work closely with other Government departments to help families overcome their challenges and stabilise their lives, for example, our joint work with Department for Work and Pensions on the Improving Lives agenda.The programme supports families with multiple problems, including for example those affected by domestic abuse, parental conflict, drug, alcohol or mental health problems, and where children are in need of help. Family keyworkers take a whole family integrated approach across multiple services and provide a co-ordinated package of support. Together this approach can lead to greater family stability and help prevent the need for children to enter care. We have committed £920 million to the programme from 2015 – 2020.

Department for Communities and Local Government: Families

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, to which legislation his Department has applied the Family Test, published in August 2014.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Government is committed to supporting families. To achieve this, in 2014 we introduced the Family Test, which aims to ensure that impacts on family relationships and functioning are recognised early on during the process of policy development and help inform the policy decisions made by Minsters. The Family Test was not designed to be a ‘tick-box’ exercise, and as such there is no requirement for departments to publish the results of assessments made under the Family Test.

Sports: Facilities

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities to provide community sports facilities?

Mr Marcus Jones: Our fair and sustainable financial settlement gives local authorities the ability to protect important local services. As democratically elected organisations, they are independent of central Government and are responsible for managing their budgets in line with local priorities. However, central Government expects local authorities to take on the challenge of making savings, while continuing to provide excellent services to local communities.

Sleeping Rough

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many (a) new houses have been built and (b) temporary accommodations  have been made available for rough sleepers in each of the last three years.

Mr Marcus Jones: My Department does not collect statistics on the allocation of new build properties or temporary accommodation.At Budget, we announced £28 million of funding to pilot the Housing First approach for the country’s most entrenched rough sleepers. In addition to this, we announced £20 million of funding for schemes to enable better access to new tenancies or support to sustain existing tenancies in the private rented sector.This funding forms part of the £1 billion that the Government has allocated until 2020 to prevent and reduce homelessness and rough sleeping. But nobody should ever have to sleep rough. That is why we have gone further and committed to halving rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminating it altogether by 2027. We have announced a new Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Reduction Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary of State, which will drive forward the implementation of a cross-Government strategy to tackle this issue.

Travellers: Bedfordshire

Ms Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to oral contribution of the Minister for Housing and Planning on 24 October 2017, Official Report, column 53WH, what the timetable is for the consultation on the use of powers to move unauthorised encampments; and if he will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: As I stated in the House on 9 October 2017 (Official Report, Column 77), we will issue a consultation on the effectiveness of powers to deal with unauthorised development and encampments. We are finalising the document with the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, and we will publish the consultation shortly.

Rough Sleeping

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people sleeping rough in (a) Redcar and Cleveland, (b) the North East and (c) England for each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Mr Marcus Jones: Annual rough sleeping counts and estimates data can be found in table 1 of our published live table:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/593685/Rough_Sleeping_Autumn_2016_Final_Tables.xlsThis Government is determined to do more to reduce the number of people sleeping rough. We have established a new Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Reduction Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary of State, which will drive forward the implementation of a cross-Government strategy to tackle this issue.We have allocated over £1 billion through to 2020 to support these efforts including piloting a Housing First approach for some of the most entrenched rough sleepers in the 3 major areas of England – including the Liverpool City Region. We are also implementing the Homelessness Reduction Act, the biggest change to homelessness legislation in decades, which will require councils to provide early support to people at risk of homelessness and rough sleeping.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2017 to Question 116788, how many households from (a) Barandon Walk, (b) Hurstway Walk, (c) Testerton Walk, (d) Treadgold House, (e) Bramley House and (f) other surrounding blocks in the Lancaster West Estate remain in emergency accommodation following the Grenfell Tower fire.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 20 December 2017



As of 18 December 2017, data provided by the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea showed the following numbers of households to be in emergency accommodation following the Grenfell fire: a) Barandon walk - 36 households, (b) Hurstway Walk - 34 households, (c) Testerton Walk - 26 households, (d) – (f) we are not able to provide specific information for the remainder of the Lancaster West Estate as this could identify individual households. There are an additional 15 households in emergency accommodation from the wider Lancaster West Estate.As outlined in the Oral Statement on Monday 18 December 2017, 144 households - almost 70 per cent of households from Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk—have accepted an offer of temporary or permanent accommodation. According to the latest figures from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, 102 of these households have now moved in.For those who remain in other accommodation, the Council has offered the opportunity to move into private rented accommodation while a permanent home is found. Some have taken up this offer, and others have made it clear that they do not want to have to move twice - which is understandable.The Government and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea are doing all they can to offer extra support for the bereaved and the survivors over the coming weeks. At Autumn Budget 2017 a further £28 million was made available to pay for mental health and emotional support, a community space for those affected and investment in the Lancaster West estate over the next three years.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2017 to Question 116791, if he will provide details of the (a) times, (b) dates and (c) attendees of the meetings that have taken place between his Department and representatives from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on allowing council tenants who formerly resided in Grenfell Tower to retain the right to buy.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his answer of 12 December 2017 to Question 116791, when he expects a resolution to the outstanding issues regarding council tenants who formerly resided in Grenfell Tower retaining the right to buy.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 20 December 2017



The Government has been clear that residents who held a council tenancy in Grenfell Tower or Grenfell Walk will be offered a new home that will be on at least the same terms as the one they lost. Survivors who held a council tenancy at Grenfell Tower or Grenfell Walk will have the Right to Buy their permanent new home.Those in council homes will have the right to buy automatically and where the permanent home is a housing association property, the Council has asked for former tenants to have the right to buy, and the relevant housing associations have agreed. Officials from my Department have regular meetings with representatives from Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea about rehousing, including the Right to Buy. Residents raise this issue either directly with members and officers of the Council when they discuss the options for rehousing or through their legal representatives when seeking to negotiate the tenancy of a new home, but the Council are clear that these issues have no effect on the overall policy in any practical way.

EU Grants and Loans

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of including funding for cultural programmes in his proposals for a Shared Prosperity Fund after the UK leaves the EU.

Jake Berry: The Government will create the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to boost productivity and reduce economic inequality across the country following our departure from the European Union.As announced in the Industrial Strategy, will we consult widely on the design of the Fund in 2018.

Non-domestic Rates: Liverpool City Region

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2017 to Question 118970, on Non-domestic Rates: Liverpool City Region, when he plans to have concluded his considerations of the most effective way to deliver those powers to the Liverpool City Region Mayor.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2017 to Question 118970 on Non-domestic Rates: Liverpool City Region, what the terms of reference are for his Department’s consideration of the most effective way to deliver those powers the Liverpool City Region Mayor.

Jake Berry: The Government is committed to ensuring that the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has the appropriate powers to help promote local growth, and we are considering the most effective way to deliver those powers. The Department will confirm its proposed approach and timescales to the Mayor as soon as possible.

High Rise Flats: Fire Extinguishers

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the criteria by which his Department is assessing the adequacy of local authorities' funding for the retrospective fitting of sprinklers in tower blocks.

Alok Sharma: Building owners are responsible for funding fire safety measures in their buildings, and local authorities should draw on existing resources to implement these measures. However, if a local authority considers works to be essential, based on expert advice and taking into account any recommendations or advice from the local fire and rescue service, we will consider the removal of financial restrictions. This might be either extending the ability to borrow within the Housing Revenue Account, or possibly a one off agreement to use general fund money.Any local authority that wishes to discuss their position should contact my Department.

Local Government: Devolution

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when the Government plans to publish its devolution framework to allow new areas to take advantage of devolution deals.

Jake Berry: In line with our manifesto commitment, we are looking at how to design a devolution framework that provides clarity for local areas about what a successful devolution agreement in England looks like. We will seek to set out our approach as soon as possible.

Council Tax: Dorset

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to ensure that the advice given to the hon. Member for Christchurch by his officials on 7 November 2017 about council tax equalisation and harmonisation is consistent with advice given by his officials to local government officers in Dorset.

Jake Berry: Officials in my Department always work closely together to ensure advice is consistent.

Local Government: Redundancy Pay

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will advise local authorities considering local government reorganisation that no exit payments for local government officers resulting from any such reorganisation should exceed £95,000; and if he will make a statement.

Jake Berry: The Government legislated to cap exit payments across the public sector to a maximum of £95,000 and it is intended to consult on arrangements to implement this in 2018.

Council Tax: Dorset

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answers of 18 December 2017 to Questions 119513 and 119514, on council tax: Dorset, on what dates officials of his Department received the request from Dorset Council; and if he will place a copy of that request in the Library.

Jake Berry: Dorset councils made their request orally.

Local Government: Dorset

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2017 to Question 119516, whether changes to financial information since December 2016 including that resulting from a reduced or zero period for equalisation and harmonisation are required during the current representation period.

Jake Berry: It is a matter for the councils concerned to decide whether in their representations to submit further financial information.

Council Tax

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2017 to Questions 119513 and 119514, on what date he first made public the factor of not allowing residents in one predecessor area to become concerned that they are effectively contributing more to the cost of services than others in the area; and what the maximum period is for harmonisation and equalisation which could satisfy that factor.

Jake Berry: I refer my Hon Friend to my answer of 18 December 2017 to Question UIN 119514.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Families

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, to which legislation his Department has applied the Family Test, published in August 2014.

David Mundell: Since August 2014, my Department has not been responsible for any legislation to which the Family Test applies.

Scotland Office: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many data incidents his Department (a) recorded and (b) reported to the Information Commissioner's Office in (i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-17.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office had no data incidents, either recorded, or reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office, in either 2015-16 or 2016-17.

Scotland Office: Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many and what proportion of his Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions in the 2017-18 Session to date have referred to the information requested not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office have answered 1 written parliamentary question explaining that the requested information was not available on the grounds of it not being collected or held centrally. This is out of a total of 169 parliamentary questions that have been answered (as at 20 December).

Department for Transport

Department for Transport: Families

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, to which legislation his Department has applied the Family Test, published in August 2014.

Mr John Hayes: The Government has allocated more than £61bn in transport capital investment over the five years to 2020/21. This is record investment to make the network more reliable and better connected, in recognition of the fact that families and businesses rely on that network every day. While we take forward a number of policies that play a role in strengthening family life, including our £1.2bn cycling and walking investment plan, extension of the young person’s railcard and introduction of more flexible rail season tickets, it is rare for specific transport legislation to have a significant impact at the level of the family. As such the Department is not aware of instances when the specific Family Test has been applied to transport legislation since 2014, over and above the usual impact assessment process which considers a wide range of impacts.

Department for Transport: Brexit

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department (a) has drafted or (b) is drafting a market access commission on the implications of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.

Mr John Hayes: We are undertaking a comprehensive programme of analytical work looking at the implications of UK withdrawal from the EU. The Government is examining all areas of the UK economy and seeking input from a wide range of businesses and industry bodies in order to inform our negotiations with the EU. Our department works closely with the Department for Exiting the European Union to ensure that they are informed of our understanding of these issues.

Department for Transport: EU Nationals

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many non-UK EU nationals started employment in his Department since 23 June 2016.

Mr John Hayes: The Civil Service does not routinely collect information on the nationality of Civil Servants.

Skipton-Colne Railway Line

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Government will take steps to reopen the Colne to Skipton railway line as part  of its proposals in Autumn Budget 2017 further to invest in rail infrastructure.

Paul Maynard: The Department for Transport’s recently published strategic vision for rail includes some illustrative examples of potential schemes, but it is not an exhaustive list. The publication makes clear that these schemes require further development and any potential rail line re-opening would need to demonstrate a strong business case where they are seeking Government funding. In the case of the Colne to Skipton railway line, we have yet to see a sufficiently strong business case, and will take into account Transport for the North’s advice on the investment priorities for the North of England.

Department for Transport: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many data incidents his Department (a) recorded and (b) reported to the Information Commissioner's Office in (i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-17.

Mr John Hayes: This response relates to both the central Department and its agencies which includes specifically the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA). In 2015-16, 14 data incidents were centrally recorded, with two reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). In 2016-17, six were centrally reported, with none reported to the ICO.

Department for Transport: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times his Department's Senior Information Risk Officer role has been vacant for a week or longer since 2012.

Mr John Hayes: The Department has and continues to appoint Senior Information Risk Officers across the DfT Group including DfT central and the agencies. Since 2012 the role of Senior Information Risk Owner has not been vacant for a week or longer within the Department.

Lower Thames Crossing

Helen Whately: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the new Lower Thames Crossing on traffic congestion on the (a) A229 (b) A249 (c) M2 Junctions 3, 5 and 7.

Jesse Norman: Forecasts of traffic impacts across all routes affected by the Lower Thames Crossing including A229, A249 and M2 were included in the economic assessment that informed the selection of the scheme’s preferred route. This appraisal was reported in section 4 of the Post-Consultation Scheme Assessment Report Volume 5. Highways England are now undertaking more detailed consideration of the traffic impacts of the proposals across the local and wider road network. This further assessment will inform the detailed design of the scheme and will be published in 2018 ahead of the scheme’s statutory consultation.

Railways: North West

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to improve rail connectivity between (a) Congleton and Crewe, (b)  Congleton and Macclesfield, (c) Congleton and Chester and (d) Congleton and Liverpool.

Paul Maynard: As part of planned improvements to Northern Rail services, there will be a more frequent, hourly Sunday stopping service from Stoke to Manchester via Macclesfield. In the meantime, the Department is happy to work with the local authority and the train operating companies to identify any opportunities to improve rail connectivity for the Congleton area.

Railways: Greater Manchester

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential future capacity on the Chat Moss railway line as a result of the plans for the Northern Powerhouse Rail; and whether those plans include the opening of additional stations on that line.

Paul Maynard: Any assessment of the potential for future capacity on the Chat Moss line as a result of the plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail will depend on (i) the route options between Liverpool to Manchester, (ii) what intermediate destinations are served and (iii) how that option interacts with related portions of the classic rail network. These factors are being considered by Transport for the North as part of the development of the Strategic Outline Business Case for Northern Powerhouse Rail which is due to be developed by the end of 2018.

Thameslink Railway Line: Overcrowding

Ms Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support Thameslink Railways in its management of capacity on trains between Bedford and St Pancras as a result of East Midland trains not stopping at (a) Luton and (b) Bedford from May 2018.

Ms Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department made of the effect on capacity of the Thameslink line between Bedford and St Pancras of East Midland line trains not stopping at (a) Bedford and (b) Luton from May 2018.

Paul Maynard: As a result of East Midlands Trains being unable to stop at Bedford or Luton at peak times, the Department expects approximately 1500 passengers from Bedford and 500 passengers from Luton to transfer to Thameslink services to London each day, from May 2018. However, passengers on this route will benefit from capacity improvements as a result of the Thameslink Programme which mean that GTR will provide around 2000 additional seats from Bedford and nearly 3000 extra seats from Luton, off-setting the extra demand. In order to continue to provide some faster services between Bedford, Luton and London, GTR will remove some intermediate stops from a total of 4 trains in the morning and 6 trains in the evening. However, the improvements to capacity across the peak periods mean that GTR will still be able to provide more seats at intermediate stations than it does today.

Thameslink Railway Line: Overcrowding

Ms Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level overcrowding on Thameslink trains between Bedford and St Pancras during peak times.

Paul Maynard: The Department publishes statistical information on levels of overcrowding on an annual basis. These statistics represent overcrowding levels during a typical autumn weekday peak and are available by train operator for central London stations and major cities in England and Wales. The table below shows the average passengers in excess of capacity (PiXC) for Thameslink services arriving and departing St. Pancras International in autumn 2016, the latest period for which data are available. Passengers in excess of capacity (PiXC) for Thameslink services at St. Pancras International; autumn 2016 AM peak arrivals (07:00-09:59)PM peak departures (16:00-18:59)4.3%4.3%  Passengers in excess of capacity, or PiXC, shows the percentage of standard class passengers above a service’s capacity at its busiest point. For example, a train with a capacity of 90 carrying 100 standard class passengers has 10 passengers in excess of capacity, and its PiXC percentage is 10% (that is, 10 passengers out of 100 are over the train’s capacity). Further disaggregation of this data i.e. for particular services or routes are not published as they are deemed to be commercially confidential.

Flitwick Station: Disability

Ms Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the feasibility of improving disabled access to platforms at Flitwick station; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: We are committed to improving station accessibility and have continued with the Access for All programme which has delivered more than 160 accessible routes at stations. We will be making further funding available in the next Rail Control Period (2019-24) and will confirm the way in which we will deliver this as soon as possible. For schemes such as Flitwick to be considered for this future funding it will need strong support from the industry. A proportion of third party funding would also help to weight the station’s business case.

East Midlands Trains: Overcrowding

Ms Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many passengers travelled to London from Bedford during peak hours on East Midlands trains in the latest period for which figures are available.

Paul Maynard: There is no published information on the number of passengers travelling between Bedford and London.

Thameslink Railway Line: Overcrowding

Ms Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average spare capacity was on Thameslink trains from Bedford to St Pancras during peak hours in the latest period for which figures are available.

Paul Maynard: There is no published information on the average spare capacity on Thameslink trains between Bedford and London St Pancras.

Parking: Private Sector

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure private parking companies undertake land ownership checks before submitting data requests to the DVLA and issuing parking tickets on private land.

Jesse Norman: Landowners are responsible for deciding the terms and conditions that apply for parking on their land and the terms of their contracts with private parking companies. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) only discloses data to parking companies that are members of an accredited trade association and signed up to a code of practice that promotes fair treatment of motorists. The DVLA is notified of any issues of non-compliance with the code as needed. The DVLA carries out both remote and on-site audits in conjunction with the Government Internal Audit Agency. These audits help to ensure that data is used only in accordance with strict contractual terms. Failure to comply can result in a parking company’s suspension from eligibility to request vehicle keeper data.

Dartford Tunnel: Tolls

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to pursue outstanding payments owed by the drivers of vehicles from non-UK EU Member States who have travelled through the Dartford tunnel.

Jesse Norman: Highways England are serious about tackling cases of evasion. They use an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system which is capable of capturing non-UK vehicle registration marks and they apply effective penalty and recovery processes that have been proven elsewhere, such as London’s congestion charging and Dublin’s M50 toll schemes. Ultimately a European debt recovery agency is used to pursue and recover outstanding charges from non-UK vehicles that evade paying the Crossing charge.

Cycling

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy in the forthcoming cycle safety review to include the Dutch Reach within the driving test to help reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths from the car-dooring of cyclists.

Jesse Norman: Leaving a vehicle and checking for oncoming cyclists, pedestrians and other traffic before opening the door is already part of the DVSA's National Standards for driving. Rule 239 of the Highway Code states: ‘You MUST ensure you do not hit anyone when you open your door. Check for cyclists or other traffic’. It is safer for your passengers (especially children) to get out of the vehicle on the side next to the kerb’. Under the Cycle Safety Review announced in September, the Department will be considering a number of cycle safety issues, but for obvious reasons it would be inappropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the review.

Department for Transport: ICT

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport,  what steps his Department is taking to implement the guidance set out by the Government Commercial Function in its paper entitled Exiting Major IT Contracts: Guidance for Departments, published in November 2017, in respect of (a) using market engagement, (b) setting up disaggregation work, (c) risk assessment, (d) developing a programme plan through the transition, (e) identifying the skills and capabilities that will be needed in the future and (f) any other work related to that guidance.

Mr John Hayes: Exit arrangements from Major IT Contracts is limited across the Department as IT services are predominantly delivered through in-house IT teams and supplemented by a small number of services through commercial partners. The DVLA exit from the PACT contract is well documented within the guidance and is an example of best practice for exiting large IT contracts. The experience gained from PACT exit is being shared across the Department and the recently implemented IT Category approach provides forum network for IT commercial professionals to share best. Further work is being undertaken to collaborate across HMG with representation at the Digital Commercial forum and numerous CCS led initiatives. The exception within the Department is DVSA, as there are current programmes of work to disaggregate the two existing large IT contracts. The work being carried out is covered explicitly below; (a) using market engagement,  DVSA is well acquainted with the guiding principles within the GCF paper ‘Exiting Major IT Contracts: Guidance for Departments’ and routinely proactively engages with GDS and CO Commercial on exit from current major IT contracts which are with Atos and Capita. Exit from these contracts formed a core objective of 2015 DVSA Digital Services & Technology strategy. Individual projects and procurements have already been launched for replacement services with market sounding as a routine step in the procurement process e.g. the new End User Computing contract. Digital Partners have been selected through the G Cloud framework for development of replacement services with significant market interest shown when the procurement exercise was launched 12 months ago. DVSA ensures it understands User Needs through a Discovery phase e.g. in developing new digital MOT service which fully replaced the old MOT PFI contract. In addition, DVSA makes use of technology analysists to understand developments in the market. (b) setting up disaggregation work,  Projects for replacement services to exit from the two existing major IT contracts are launched and have governance processes that requires scrutiny and approval of full business cases and have a SRO identified.Agile methodology is used within these projects with MVP and service backlogs identified and routinely tracked through burn down charts for each sprint. Project benefits are tracked through internal governance and include enabling benefits the exit of existing contracts. E.g., the Commercial Vehicle Services (CVS) project will enable the exit of a majority of the DVSA IS2003 contract with Atos during its remaining term. All other activities to enable contract exit are managed on a Common Technology Service backlog. (c) risk assessment,  DVSA has identified non exit within the remaining term of their two major IT contracts as a corporate risk and this is monitored by the DVSA Directing Board. Each project that facilitates contract exit is subject to normal project governance including monthly risk assessments. All contract end dates are routinely monitored through the DVSA Investment and Change Committee (ICC). (d) developing a programme plan through the transition,  Planning for contract exit and introduction of replacement services are managed through project plans and transition is part of the deliverable for the projects. For exit of the two major IT contracts, an internal DVSA Oversight Board has been established to monitor risks to exit timescales. This updates the DVSA Investment and Change Committee which is chaired by a Director. (e) identifying the skills and capabilities that will be needed in the future and  The need for futures skills and capabilities was recognised in the 2015 DVSA Digital Services & Technology strategy. DVSA has already successfully run an apprentice programme and a graduate programme for developing digital capability. In addition, recruitment campaigns are being run to fill permanent posts in the organisation consistent with the Digital, Data and Technology (DDAT) professional requirements. DVSA Digital Services and Technology Directorate has measured itself against Government Commercial Function operating standards. (f) any other work related to that guidance. Incumbent suppliers are being proactively managed by DVSA to secure their cooperation for exit and transition. Formal partnership meetings are held with senior executives and a collaborative approach has been established. This is reinforced through DVSA engagement with the relevant Crown Representatives and Strategic Relationship Mangers at Cabinet Office.

West Coast Railway Line

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on how many occasions West Coast Mainline services were suspended in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017.

Paul Maynard: Information is not held by the Department in the form requested. However Network Rail has advised that for the main passenger train operators using the West Coast Main Line (Virgin Trains, London Midland, Trans Pennine Express) the number of days each year on which there was severe disruption involving cancellation of more than 25% of the services in any of those operator’s main service groups were as follows: 2015 = 232016 = 222017 = 24

Patients: Travel

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to include in the Accessibility Action Plan means to assist people with disabilities in getting to hospital appointments.

Paul Maynard: The Government’s ambition is to ensure people with disabilities have the same access to transport and opportunities to travel as everyone else. This includes transport to attend hospital appointments. In August, the Department for Transport published its draft Accessibility Action Plan (AAP), setting out proposals for addressing the gaps in existing provision of transport services which serve as a barrier to people with disabilities. The Government will publish its response to the AAP consultation in early 2018 and a revised AAP in summer 2018. The revised Plan will include our updated proposals for improving passenger transport across all modes so that people with disabilities can travel to the destinations and appointments they need to. The Department for Transport will work with Other Government Departments, including the Department of Health as part of its development of the revised Action Plan.

Railways: South West

Luke Pollard: To ask Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the level of availability of mobile phone coverage on the Penzance to London train line; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: The Department published a consultation about the Great Western (GW) rail franchise, on 29 November, inviting people’s views on future priorities for improvement. The consultation document notes that mobile connectivity has been highlighted by a number of stakeholders, including the Peninsula Rail Task Force, and indicates that the specification for the next GW franchise, due to begin in April 2020, will seek proposals for significant improvements in mobile connectivity.

Shipping: Training

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 December 2017 to Question 117856, on shipping: training, what the international visits are which have been undertaken by Maritime and Coastguard Agency officials since May 2010 which included (a) the provision of advice on or (b) official discussions of seafarer training standards.

Mr John Hayes: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) may share information and guidance on the UK standards with other countries. MCA officials have not undertaken any international visits since May 2010 to provide advice to other countries on how they should set their own seafarer training policy. MCA officials have visited the Maritime Administrations of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Federal Republic of Germany since May 2010 for official discussions of seafarer training standards.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency: United Nations

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the official meetings with United Nations agencies attended by Maritime and Coastguard Agency officials since May 2010 which included discussion of seafarer (a) training, (b) safety and (c) welfare standards; and when the next such meetings are scheduled.

Mr John Hayes: Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) officials have routinely attended all meetings at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) (the two United Nations Agencies that consider maritime matters) since May 2010 where seafarer (a) training, (b) safety and (c) welfare standards have been on the agenda. The IMO has a regular programme of meetings that discuss these matters, averaging around 15 per year. In addition, several working groups will also have these matters on their agenda. The details of the key topics of discussion can be found on the IMO’s website. The next scheduled committee meeting of the IMO that is predominantly focused on seafarer (a) training, (b) safety and (c) welfare standards is on 16th May 2018. At the ILO, MCA officials have attended the following official meetings since May 2010: MeetingDatea) TrainingMeeting of Experts to Adopt Guidelines on the Training of Ships’ Cooks23 – 27 September 2013b) SafetyMeeting of Experts on Maritime Occupational Safety and Health13 – 17 October 2014c) Welfare standards1st Preparatory Special Tripartite Committee on the Maritime Labour Convention20 – 22 September 2010 Tripartite Meeting of Experts to Adopt Port State Control Guidelines for Implementation of the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188)15 – 19 February 2010 Joint ILO/IMO Working Group on Medical Fitness Examinations of Seafarers and Ships’ Medicine Chest26 – 20 September 2011 2nd Preparatory Special Tripartite Committee on the Maritime Labour Convention12 – 14 December 2011 Global Dialogue Forum for the Promotion of the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No.188)15 – 17 May 2013 1st Special Tripartite Committee on the Maritime Labour Convention7 – 11 April 2014 Meeting of Experts to Adopt Flag State Guidelines for the Implementation of the Work in Fishing Convention21 – 25 September 2015 2nd Special Tripartite Committee on the Maritime Labour Convention8 – 10 April 2016 International Conference on Labour Exploitation in the Fishing Sector in the Atlantic Region25 – 26 November 2016 Working Group of the Special Tripartite Committee of the Maritime Labour Convention3 – 5 April 2017 Tripartite Meeting on issues relating to Migrant Fishers18 – 22 September 2017 The next scheduled committee meeting of the ILO to discuss seafarer welfare is 23rd April 2018. There are no further ILO meetings scheduled on seafarer training and safety.

Shipping: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the shipping industry on seafarer employment.

Mr John Hayes: The UK was proactive in the development and adoption of an International Maritime Organization (IMO) energy efficiency regime in 2013 as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping. Under this regime, consideration has been given to the training of seafarers and the need for crews to be appropriately supported and empowered to take steps on vessels to improve operational energy efficiency. The IMO has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact on seafarer employment, but the Department is not aware that any concerns have been reported to date by Member States, industry or Seafarer representatives. As part of the development and implementation of the IMO GHG reduction strategy, the UK expects that the impacts of any measures agreed will be considered and addressed as appropriate.

Shipping: Carbon Emissions

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress with discussions there has been at the International Maritime Organization on a decarbonisation strategy for the shipping industry up to 2023 which complies with the (a) mandatory and (b) voluntary obligations in the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Mr John Hayes: The UK has been an active participant in negotiations on the development of an International Maritime Organization (IMO) strategy on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The initial IMO strategy is due to be adopted in April 2018 and revised in 2023. UK priorities are that the strategy sets a level of ambition for the sector consistent with the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change. It should contain a range of short, mid- and long-term measures, some of which will be mandatory. The UK will continue to push for a credible and ambitious outcome in discussions at the IMO.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which applications have been made to the HS2 Community and Environment Fund in Buckinghamshire; which of those applications have been successful; and how much was awarded to each of those successful applications.

Paul Maynard: To date, 12 applications to the HS2 Community and Environment Fund in Buckinghamshire have been determined. Of these, 6 were successful and the total amount of the awards offered, or to be offered, is £595,778. These awards are subject to terms and conditions, and as such, not all have been accepted by the applicants at this stage. For this reason, they are not listed here. It is anticipated that an announcement will be made in early 2018 with news of the first accepted awards made and their locations. Following this announcement, it is intended that there will be quarterly newsletters and website updates sharing the latest information on approved projects and allocated funding geographically, along with an interactive map and case studies.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which people are responsible for taking decisions on the HS2 (a) Community and Environment and (b) Business and Local Economy Funds; what meetings they have attended in connection with those responsibilities; and what the decisions were which were on the agenda of each of those meetings.

Paul Maynard: Decisions on either the Community and Environment Fund or the Business and Local Economy Fund follow the same process. Awards below £75,000 are assessed and determined by staff at the Grant Management Body appointed for this purpose (Groundwork UK). Above this threshold, awards are assessed by Groundwork UK and then considered by an independent Panel. The Independent Panel makes a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Transport, who takes the decision. In practice, this decision may be delegated to either another Minister or a Senior Civil Servant. Groundwork had 13 internal panel meetings in 2017 and the Independent Panel (marked with * below) met 3 times. The projects for decision on the agenda at each meeting were as follows: Meeting dateApplicant20/02/2017*N/A11/03/2017Dr Challoner’s Grammar School11/03/2017Guild Hall St Mary’s Lichfield25/05/2017Bishops Itchington Primary School25/05/2017Holmer Green Cricket Club06/06/2017*N/A08/06/2017West Euston Partnership08/06/2017Friends of the Earth (Birmingham) Ltd08/06/2017Wells House Road Residents Association04/07/2017Hampton in Arden Parish Council10/08/2017Richings Park Sports Club Ltd10/08/2017Helmdon Acorns Pre-School10/08/2017Buckinghamshire Business First18/08/2017FareShare18/08/2017Buckinghamshire Business First18/08/2017Colton Village Hall31/08/2017Castlehaven Community Association31/08/2017AY Recruitment31/08/2017Chiltern Conservation Board31/08/2017Camden Collective07/09/2017Solihull Community Housing Limited13/09/2017Steeple Claydon Methodist Church13/09/2017Chiltern Conservation Board27/09/2017*Forest Enterprise England05/10/2017Camden People's Theatre05/10/2017Bengali Workers Association05/10/2017Padbury Village Football Club31/10/2017Leamington & Warwick Sea Cadets31/10/2017Richings Park Sports Club Ltd31/10/2017Solihull MBC31/10/2017Wormleighton PCC31/10/2017Sulgrave Manor Trust21/11/2017Good Gym21/11/2017Coleshill Tennis Club21/11/2017Samuel Lithgow Youth Centre21/11/2017Thorpe Mandevile Village Hall TrustA further Groundwork internal panel meeting took place on 12 December, but this is not included in the table as the applicants in question have not yet been notified of the decisions taken.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who is responsible for decisions as to whether an application should be made to the HS2 Community and Environment Fund or the HS2 Business and Local Economy Fund.

Paul Maynard: It is down to the applicant to determine whether they apply to the Community and Environment Fund or the Business and Local Economy Fund. Detailed guidance on each fund is provided on the Fund website.

Railways: Fylde

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2017 to Question 117958 and to the Answer of 14 December 2017 to Question 118756, what information his Department holds on the basis for Northern Rail making a commercial decision to increase the frequency of trains from the current hourly service on the South Fylde line without upgrading the existing single-track line infrastructure.

Paul Maynard: The Department does not hold any information on the basis for Northern Rail making a commercial decision to increase the frequency of trains from the current hourly service on the South Fylde line without upgrading the existing single-track line infrastructure as it has been deemed not feasible as outlined in the previous Parliamentary question UIN 118756.

Railways: Fylde

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2017 to Question 118759, what discussions his Department has had with local bodies or promoters on the business case for public funding to improve connectivity in Fylde constituency by increasing the frequency of train services on the South Fylde line and installing any necessary supporting infrastructure.

Paul Maynard: The Department for Transport has had no such discussions.

Southern: Standards

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what percentage of cancellations on Southern on the Brighton mainline in the last two years has been due to lack of train crew.

Paul Maynard: Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) reports cancellation information to the Department at franchise level. Additionally, the rail industry systems which capture disruption data do not differentiate between cancellations as a result of lack of train crew and other causes attributed to train crew (for example operational reasons). The percentage of all GTR’s cancellations attributed to train crew issues over the past two years is 38%.

Railway Stations: Stevenage

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on the provision of an additional bay platform at Stevenage station to accommodate services from Stevenage to Hertford.

Paul Maynard: We are working with Network Rail to provide additional infrastructure, including a bay platform and approximately two kilometres of new track, at Stevenage station to accommodate services between Stevenage and Hertford. Our intent is for this work to be completed as soon as possible in Control Period 6 (2019-24).

Railway Stations: Coventry

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the feasibility of improving disabled access to platforms at Coventry station.

Paul Maynard: We are committed to improving station accessibility and have continued with the Access for All programme which has delivered more than 160 accessible routes at stations. We will be making further funding available in the next Rail Control Period (2019-24) and will confirm the way in which we will deliver this as soon as possible. For schemes such as Coventry to be considered for this future funding it will need strong support from the industry. A proportion of third party funding would also help to weight the station’s business case.

Govia Thameslink Railway

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the net difference was between the payments made by his Department under Govia Thameslink Railway's management contract for the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise and the fare revenues paid to his Department through that franchise in each year since 2014.

Paul Maynard: These figures published annually by the Office of Rail and Road at:https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/report/html/95218cca-408d-4047-83ce-a542c53b59e6

Govia Thameslink Railway: Fines

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the value of fines per year imposed on Govia Thameslink Rail were in respect of the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise since the launch of that franchise in 2014.

Paul Maynard: Penalties of £2.3m were imposed in the first year of the franchise for GTR's performance against Cancellations and Peak Short Formations benchmarks. In July 2017, GTR agreed to fund a package of performance and passenger improvements worth £13.4m. This included, contractual penalties of £2.4m for GTR’s performance for the year September 2015 to September 2016, and a settlement of the performance regime for the next two years (September 2016 – September 2018 of £5m for each year).

Govia Thameslink Railway

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the value of the revenues paid to his Department were under the management contract for the (a) Thameslink, (b) Southern and (c) Great Northern parts of the franchise in each year since 2014.

Paul Maynard: These figures are published annually in the Go Ahead group accounts at: https://www.go-ahead.com/en/investors/results-reports-presentations.html

Great Western Railway: WiFi

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with Great Western Railway on improving the connectivity of its on-board free WiFi; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: Great Western Railway has told the Department that the quality of on-board wifi available on the new Intercity Express Trains (IET) currently being introduced into service, including on services to and from South Wales, is higher than what could be achieved with the older High Speed Trains. The Department also published a consultation about the Great Western (GW) rail franchise, on 29 November, inviting people’s views on future priorities for improvement. The consultation document notes that mobile connectivity has been highlighted by a number of stakeholders and indicates that the specification for the next GW franchise, due to begin in April 2020, will seek proposals for significant improvements in mobile connectivity.

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency: Bullying

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many DVSA staff have reported incidents of bullying and harassment by senior management since October 2017; and what steps DVSA have taken in response to those reported incidents.

Jesse Norman: Since October 2017 to the end of November 2017, there has been one case of alleged bullying and harassment reported to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) involving a senior manager (Grade 7 or above). This case is being dealt with formally in accordance with DVSA’s policy and procedures with support from Civil Service Human Resources, who provide a casework service to DVSA.

Taxis: Guide Dogs

Christine Jardine: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the fines imposed on taxi drivers and private hire vehicle owners which refuse access to guide dog owners fully reflects the significance of the effect on those owners of the offence committed.

Mr John Hayes: Assistance dogs play a crucial role in enabling their owners to live independently, safely and with dignity, and it is right that the penalties for refusing their carriage in a taxi or private hire vehicle (PHV) reflect this. Taxi and PHV drivers convicted of illegally refusing the carriage of assistance dogs already face fines of up to £1,000 in addition to costs, and may also have their license suspended or revoked by the respective local licensing authority. We know however that assistance dog owners still face discrimination when using taxi and PHV services, and plan to investigate why this happens, and what Government and other bodies can do to prevent such unacceptable behaviour.

Taxis: Guide Dogs

Christine Jardine: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department monitors the incidence of refusals to allow access to owners of assistance guide dogs by taxis, private hire vehicles and other transport-related services; and if he will make a statement.

Mr John Hayes: It is illegal for drivers of taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) to refuse the carriage of an assistance dog or to charge their owner extra. Responsibility for investigating and, where appropriate, prosecuting drivers alleged to have refused an assistance dog illegally rests with local licensing authorities, and we encourage them to take effective action to eliminate such unacceptable behaviour. We do not currently collect statistics on refusal incidents on board local public transport services.

Midland Main Railway Line

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been allocated from the public purse for planned upgrades to the Midland Main Line; and what the planned upgrades are which will be undertaken to improve capacity and speed on that line.

Paul Maynard: We are investing over £1 billion in the biggest upgrade to the Midland Main Line since it was completed in 1870. It will deliver improved long distance passenger services between Sheffield, Nottingham and London, as well as a new dedicated service between Corby, Kettering and London. There will be more seats and faster intercity journeys during the peak. Upgrades to improve capacity and line speed include:Remodelling of Derby station to improve journey times for freight and passenger servicesPlatform lengthening at Market Harborough to improve capacityLeicester South Junction remodelled to improve journey timesLine speed improvements through Market Harborough to improve journey timesLine speed improvements north of Derby to improve journey timesCorby track re-doubling and four-tracking south of Kettering to increase capacity and create a sixth path into London St PancrasThese and other upgrades enable a new, dedicated express service between Kettering, Corby and London St Pancras with modern trains and more seats from 2020, as well as a fleet of brand new bi-mode trains for intercity services from 2022.

Department for Transport: Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of his Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions in the 2017-18 Session to date have referred to the information requested not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally.

Mr John Hayes: As at 19 December, the Department for Transport have answered 1,712 parliamentary questions in the current session. 26 written parliamentary questions (1.5%) have referred to the information requested not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally in the current session.

Cycling: Accidents

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the number of pedestrians who have been involved in accidents caused by a person cycling on a pavement.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport only collects data for those collisions which involve personal injury and are reported to the police. The latest figures available are for Great Britain for 2016, where there were 96 reported pedestrian casualties located on a footway or verge involved in a collision with a pedal cyclist.

Bicycles: Hire Services

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the powers available to local authorities to regulate and manage bike-share schemes.

Jesse Norman: Local authorities currently have no powers to regulate bike-share schemes in their areas, but they have powers to act if bicycles, including shared bicycles, are causing an obstruction or nuisance. The Department has received representations to the effect that local authorities would find it useful to have the power to regulate these schemes, and is continuing to discuss possible ways forward with stakeholders.

Bicycles: Hire Services

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which stakeholders he and officials in his Department have recently met to discuss the introduction of a consistent national standard for bike-share schemes.

Jesse Norman: Department for Transport officials have met representatives from most of the major dockless bike-share companies operating in the UK, as well as from some local authorities and boroughs where they are trading. The question of a possible national standard has been raised at several of these meetings. The Department is also inviting various stakeholders to a workshop in January where this matter will be discussed further.

Bicycles: Hire Services

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to promote bike-share schemes.

Jesse Norman: Bike-share schemes have the potential to bring mass cycle hire to many areas at low cost, supporting the delivery of the Government’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. The Department continues to discuss the practical issues associated with bike-share schemes with various stakeholders, but it would not be appropriate for it to promote individual bike-share schemes.

Bicycles: Hire Services

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government's current review of cycle safety will include bike-share schemes.

Jesse Norman: The Department will be considering a wide range of issues as part of the review, and is currently finalising the terms of reference for it. A call for evidence is due to be published in early 2018.

Transport: Schools

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to amend regulations related to school bus services to prevent unrestrained passenger travel on motorways.

Jesse Norman: The Government follows European standards for buses. These standards are kept under constant review by an international group of experts, and the UK is an active participant in that process. Since 1 October 2001, it has been a requirement that seat belts must be installed in forward- and rear-facing seats in all new buses, coaches and minibuses. The only exemption from this requirement is for buses that are designed for urban use with standing passengers. This exemption is permitted because these buses are typically used for journeys that are short both in duration and distance, undertaken at moderate speeds and on urban routes.

Heathrow Airport: Night Flying

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the feasibility of establishing an eight-hour night-flight ban at Heathrow; and if he will make a statement.

Mr John Hayes: Following consultation, in October 2017, the Government implemented a new five-year night flight regime at Heathrow, which will end in October 2022. This regime limits the number of scheduled movements to an average of sixteen per night for a six and a half hour night period. The revised draft Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) sets out the Government’s expectation for a six and a half hour ban on scheduled night flights at an expanded Heathrow. Should the revised draft Airports NPS be designated, consideration of any ban, including timings, would be subject to the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Balanced Approach to noise management, including consultation with local communities and other interested parties.

Heathrow Airport: Noise

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a legally binding noise envelope at Heathrow; and if he will make a statement.

Mr John Hayes: The revised draft Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) makes clear that any noise envelope at an expanded Heathrow should be tailored to local priorities and include clear noise performance targets. If the revised draft Airports NPS is designated, the design of any noise envelope would be defined in consultation with local communities and relevant stakeholders.

Aviation: Noise

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the boundaries at which communities affected by aircraft noise receive compensation.

Mr John Hayes: Following its recent Airspace Policy consultation, the Department implemented changes to its policy on compensation for communities affected by noise as a result of airspace change. The Government will undertake additional consideration of this issue through the new aviation strategy it is currently developing.

Heathrow Airport: Noise

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with Heathrow Airport on potential boundary changes to its Quieter Homes scheme.

Mr John Hayes: There have been no discussions between the Department for Transport and Heathrow Airport on potential changes to Heathrow’s Quieter Homes scheme.Whilst the Government sets the guidelines on when it expect airport operators to provide compensation to local communities, decision on how to apply the guidance are for the airport itself.

Heathrow Airport: Air Pollution

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect on air quality of the construction of a third runway at Heathrow.

Mr John Hayes: The Government believes that the Heathrow Northwest Runway scheme can be delivered without impacting on the UK’s compliance with air quality limit values, given the measures set out in the Government’s air quality plan, and with a suitable package of mitigation measures taken forward by the promoter. Should the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement be designated, then it would be for the promoter to undertake a detailed assessment of the air quality impacts of the scheme, including during construction, and put forward to the Planning Inspectorate an appropriate package of mitigations that address air quality impacts and demonstrate compliance with air quality obligations.In order to grant development consent, the Secretary of State would need to be satisfied that, with mitigation, the scheme would be compliant with legal obligations.

Heathrow Airport: Air Pollution

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effect on air quality of the construction of a third runway at Heathrow.

Mr John Hayes: The Government believes that the Heathrow Northwest Runway scheme can be delivered without impacting on the UK’s compliance with air quality limit values, given the measures set out in the Government’s air quality plan, and with a suitable package of mitigation measures taken forward by the promoter. Should the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement be designated, then it would be for the promoter to undertake a detailed assessment of the air quality impacts of the scheme, including during construction, and put forward to the Planning Inspectorate an appropriate package of mitigations that address air quality impacts and demonstrate compliance with air quality obligations.In order to grant development consent, the Secretary of State would need to be satisfied that, with mitigation, the scheme would be compliant with legal obligations.

Heathrow Airport: Air Pollution

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what measures he plans to put in place to mitigate potential negative air quality effects of constructing and operating a third runway at Heathrow.

Mr John Hayes: Should the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement be designated, then it would be for the promoter to undertake a detailed assessment of the air quality impacts of the scheme, including during construction and operation, and put forward to the Planning Inspectorate an appropriate package of mitigations that address air quality impacts and demonstrate compliance with air quality obligations.The precise package of mitigation measures would be subject to consultation with local communities to ensure that the most effective measures are taken forward.Furthermore, in order to grant development consent, the Secretary of State would need to be satisfied that, with mitigation, the scheme would be compliant with legal obligations.As you know, the Government is determined to meet its air quality obligations and to do so it has produced a national Air Quality Plan which includes additional measures to improve air quality nationwide. We are investing £3.5 billion in cleaning up the air and reducing emissions from vehicles.

Aviation

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to bring forward proposals for new regulations on the allocation of slot arrangements at UK airports; and if he will make a statement.

Mr John Hayes: The government has no proposals for new regulations on the allocation of slots at co-ordinated UK airports. The process of allocating slots at these airports is governed by the EU airport slot regulations and the associated UK implementing regulations.

Heathrow Airport

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Heathrow Airport on the potential number of jobs estimated to arise (a) locally and (b) nationally from a third runway being constructed.

Mr John Hayes: The Secretary of State regularly meets with Heathrow Airport Limited to discuss a number of matters including the government’s preferred scheme for increasing airport capacity in the South East which has recently been the subject of consultation. All discussions relating to expansion take place in observance of the government’s published Statement of Approach. Government recently published the Updated Appraisal Report alongside the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement. The forecasted figures for the creation of jobs as a result of the Northwest Runway scheme at Heathrow Airport can be found there.

Heathrow Airport

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the reasons were for not including an updated assessment of domestic connections to the regions from an expanded Heathrow in the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement, published on 24 October 2017.

Mr John Hayes: The department published updated aviation forecasts alongside the consultation on the revised draft NPS on 24 October 2017. This included an updated assessment of the domestic connections from Heathrow airport, with and without expansion.The revised draft Airports NPS maintains the Government expectation that any expansion will deliver an increase in the number of UK routes; and that Government will hold Heathrow Airport to account on this. The document also sets out a number of potential domestic routes that may be delivered under expansion.

Department for Transport: Government Procurement Card

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's publication DfT’s ePCS spending over £500 for August 2017, for what reason the term description unobtainable its used for the item £1,495.84 at Mandarin Oriental Hotels on the 10th August 2017.

Mr John Hayes: The Department is committed to the Government’s transparency agenda to make government more open and to strengthen public accountability, to support public service improvement by generating more comparative data and increasing user choice, and to stimulate economic growth by helping third parties develop products and services based on public information. The Department reports on transactions that are over £500 and this includes transactions made through the use of the Electronic Purchasing Card Solutions (EPCS). The Department makes every effort to ensure that a description of the nature of expenditure is included in all published data. However, due to the tight publishing deadline occasionally (as is the case here) it may not be able to readily identify the reason for the expenditure. The Department has clear guidance in place to manage the use of an EPCS card which may only be issued to staff where there is deemed to be a business need.

Department for Transport: Social Mobility

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to improve social mobility in each of the last seven years.

Mr John Hayes: Our investment in the country’s transport infrastructure plays an important part in helping people access jobs, training opportunities and crucial services, which are a key enabler of social mobility. Our record shows we have increased investment in transport over the last seven years. This will help improve opportunities for people right across the country. We take the issue of accessibility across all modes of transport very seriously. The draft Accessibility Action Plan, published in August, is the next step in the Government’s commitment to removing barriers for millions of disabled people to be able to travel independently and confidently.

Bus Services: Concessions

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of introducing free bus passes for young people aged between 18 and 25 leaving care.

Jesse Norman: The Department acknowledges the Rt Hon Member’s concern, but it has not undertaken, and has no plans to undertake, any estimates of free bus passes specifically for young people leaving care.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations to his counterpart in Myanmar about creating safe passage routes to allow Rohingya refugees to return to northern Rakhine State.

Mark Field: The UK has been clear that all Rohingya refugees now in Bangladesh must be able to return to their homes in Burma voluntarily, safely and with dignity. The Foreign Secretary has spoken to Aung San Suu Kyi three times since this crisis began, most recently on 21 October, when he urged her to implement her commitment to ensure the return of refugees. I ​met with Burma's Minister of Defence; its Deputy Foreign Minister; and Aung San Suu Kyi's Chief of Staff on 20 and 21 November, and in each meeting pressed on the need for Rohingya to return to their homes in Rakhine in safetyThe UK proposed and secured unanimous support for a UN Security Council presidential Statement on 6 November which urged the Government of Burma to ensure the voluntary return of all refugees in conditions of safety and dignity to their homes, and equal access to full citizenship for all individualsAt the 12 December UN Security Council session, the UK conveyed the seriousness of the crisis and made clear that the situation continues to merit close UNSC attention. The Burmese authorities must heed calls of the Security Council to make Rakhine safe for refugee returns and ensure accountability for human rights violationsThe UK also supported Bangladesh in its proposal for a Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council, attended by Lord Ahmad on 5 December. In his intervention Lord Ahmad as clear that "international pressure will not relent until the state authorities act to enable refugees to return to Rakhine voluntarily, with dignity and, importantly, in safety".

Tunisia: EU Immigration

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to monitor and regulate the arrival of migrants from Tunisia to Europe.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​The UK and EU partners are working closely with the Tunisian authorities to monitor and respond to the situation. We have dedicated staff in the region who work with North African partners to track migration flows and disrupt smuggling and trafficking networks.

China: BBC Radio 4

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Chinese counterpart on that Government's recent interference with Radio 4's Today Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Field: We have not rto discussed this matter with the Chinese authoritiesWe do, however, remain concerned by the increasing restrictions to media freedoms in China and continue to urge the Chinese authorities to respect and protect freedom of expression and association. We raised the issue of media freedom with the Chinese authorities at the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue, which was held in Beijing on 27 June, where we expressed concerns about the treatment of journalists and censorship.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Families

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, to which legislation his Department has applied the Family Test, published in August 2014.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not applied the Family Test to date as it applies to domestic policy only.

Tristan da Cunha: Marine Protected Areas

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release of 15 September 2016 entitled UK set to protect 4 million square kilometres of ocean, what progress the Government has made on delivering a marine protected area around Tristan da Cunha by 2020.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has worked with the Government of Tristan da Cunha to identify steps to be taken to implement a marine protection strategy by 2020.

Ascension Island: Marine Protected Areas

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent progress has been made on establishing a fully protected marine reserve around Ascension Island.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Ascension Island Government has committed to establishing a fully protected marine reserve in at least 50% of their waters by 2019. Through the Blue Belt programme, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science and the Marine Management Organisation have supported delivery of the Ascension Island Government's scientific roadmap. They have also provided advice to strengthen legislation to facilitate a future Marine Protected Area declaration.

Papua: Politics and Government

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his Departments policies of the research on pathways to peace in West Papua by the Politics of Papua Project at the University of Warwick.

Mark Field: Embassy officials carry out regular assessments of the political and human rights situation in Papua and West Papua provinces including keeping up to date with research and visiting the province (most recently in November 2017). Where we have concerns, these are raised with the Government of Indonesia. Officials were not consulted prior to the publication of the research on pathways to peace, but UK government officials met researchers from the Politics of Papua Project in August 2016.

Nuclear Weapons: Treaties

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the Government decided not to participate in, or send an observer to, talks on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in March 2017.

Sir Alan Duncan: I refer the Hon. Member to my answer of 13 March 2017 (PQ 66495).

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: EU Nationals

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many non-UK EU nationals started employment in his Department since 23 June 2016.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​The Aliens' Employment Act 1955 makes it a requirement that all UK-based staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office must be British nationals or dual nationals where one of those nationalities is British. We do not centrally hold details of the nationality of our staff who are dual nationals.

Arctic

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has received from Arctic Indigenous peoples on his proposed revised Arctic Policy Framework.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​The Government works in conjunction with Arctic Indigenous peoples towards a safe and secure Arctic, including through the Arctic Council. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials recently heard the concerns of some of the Arctic’s Indigenous peoples at the “Arctic Voices” event hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Polar Regions. The UK remains of the view that only responsible development should take place in the Arctic region.

British Overseas Territories: Marine Protected Areas

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Governments of UK Overseas Territories on creating fully enforced Marine Protected Areas in their waters.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Communique, agreed by the Overseas Territories at the Joint Ministerial Council, held in November 2017, welcomed the progress towards creating a 'Blue Belt' of protected ocean around the Overseas Territories.

Indonesia: Police

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much funding the Government has provided to the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation for the training of (a) Detachment 88 and (b) other Indonesian police units and officers in (i) 2014 (ii) 2015, (iii) 2016 and (iv)  2017.

Mark Field: YearFunding for training of Detachment 88 officersFunding for training of other Indonesian police units and officers2014£26,000£119,0002015£59,000£32,0002016£219,000£42,0002017£276,000£182,000

Indonesia: Police

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many British trainers have been attached to the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation in each of the last three years.

Mark Field: YearPermanent UK trainer at JCLECNo. of UK trainers involved in programme delivery2015None242016No trainers. 1 x UK Programme Manager292017No trainers. 1 x UK Programme Manager82

Papua: Counter-terrorism

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what undertakings were given to the Government that British-trained officers from Detachment 88 would not be deployed for counter-insurgency and political work in West Papua.

Mark Field: The UK routinely trains members of the Indonesian National Police, including Densus 88, across a broad spectrum of subjects at the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC). Courses are subject to an Overseas Security and Justice Assessment which considers the risk that training might assist participants in violating human rights in the future. No courses at JCLEC offer lethal force training and all UK courses have an element of human rights awareness.

Seas and Oceans: Conservation

Robert Courts: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on the UK's role in global ocean conservation.

Sir Alan Duncan: The oceans are vital to support life on earth, and are critical to the United Kingdom. The UK and its Overseas Territories are custodians to the fifth-largest marine estate in the world. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) therefore has an important role in promoting security at sea and improving the conservation and sustainable use of our oceans, and we are looking at how the UK can take this yet further. We already take a leading role on maritime protection and are on track to deliver marine protected areas across nearly 4 million square kilometres of the planet's oceans and seas through our Blue Belt programme by 2020.The FCO works closely with the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and others including agencies such as the UK Hydrographic Office, the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to promote global marine conservation. The FCO and DEFRA in particular have also been closely involved in the negotiations of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) to develop an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.I am committed to combatting the menace of marine plastic pollution. This Government introduced a charge on plastic carrier bags, cutting their use in the UK by 80 per cent, and avoiding the disposal of 9 billion carrier bags, many of which might otherwise have ended up in the oceans. And from 1 January 2018, we will ban the production of plastic microbeads, the strongest legal measure of its kind anywhere in the world.

Kashmir: Politics and Government

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure a negotiated settlement between India and Pakistan on Kashmir.

Mark Field: The UK Government habitually discusses a wide range of matters with India and Pakistan, including Kashmir.  The long-standing and established position of the UK Government is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to intervene, prescribe a solution or to act as a mediator. We encourage both sides to maintain positive dialogue, but the pace and scope of this is for them to determine.

Kashmir: Politics and Government

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent meetings the Government has had with the Government of India on Kashmir.

Mark Field: The UK Government habitually discusses a wide range of matters with India and Pakistan, including Kashmir.  The long-standing and established position of the UK Government is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to intervene, prescribe a solution or to act as a mediator. We encourage both sides to maintain positive dialogue, but the pace and scope of this is for them to determine.

Kashmir: Politics and Government

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent meetings the Government has had with the Government of Pakistan on Kashmir.

Mark Field: ​The UK Government habitually discusses a wide range of matters with India and Pakistan, including Kashmir.  The long-standing and established position of the UK Government is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to intervene, prescribe a solution or to act as a mediator. We encourage both sides to maintain positive dialogue, but the pace and scope of this is for them to determine.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many data incidents his Department (a) recorded and (b) reported to the Information Commissioner's Office in (i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-17.

Sir Alan Duncan: Information regarding incidents involving the loss or compromise of personal data is published in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Annual Report and Accounts.The figures concerned are on page 41 of the 2017 report and page 54 of the 2016 report.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many times his Department's Senior Information Risk Officer role has been vacant for a week or longer since 2012.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​The Senior Information Risk Officer (SIRO) role has not been vacant for a week or longer since 2012.

North Korea: Refugees

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Government of the People's Republic of China on the treatment of refugees from North Korea in China.

Mark Field: We remain concerned that China continues to regard North Koreans fleeing the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as economic migrants, and return them to North Korea, rather than as refugees under the 1951 refugee convention. Despite claims by the DPRK authorities that forcibly repatriated refugees are well treated and reintegrated into DPRK society, there are many credible reports, including from the UN Special Rapporteur, that they are often mistreated by the authorities.During his 11 December speech at the UN Security Council meeting on the human rights situation in the DPRK, UK Permanent Representative Matthew Rycroft urged all Member States, including China, not to repatriate DPRK refugees. We have asked the Chinese authorities to respect the fundamental principle of non-refoulement and raised the matter at the UK/China Human Rights Dialogue which took place on 27/28 June.

Burma: Rohingya

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to send an expert team to gather evidence on sexual violence as a weapon of war against Rohingya women in Myanmar, and other possible crimes.

Mark Field: The UK has been consistently clear about the importance of transparent investigations into allegations of human rights violations, and holding to account all those responsible for such acts. I urged an independent investigation of reports of atrocities and incidents of sexual violence when I met Burma's Minister for the Office of the State Counsellor on 20 NovemberThe Government recently deployed two civilian experts to Bangladesh to conduct a capacity needs assessment on investigation and documentation of sexual violence perpetrated against members of the Rohingya community. Officials are considering how the UK can swiftly take forward their recommendations to ensure that fresh evidence is gathered to international standards and in a manner which upholds the principle of "Do No Harm".

Ukraine: Corruption

Ms Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking with his EU counterparts to support anti-corruption programmes in Ukraine.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK and our EU counterparts are supporting a range of anti-corruption programmes in Ukraine. The UK, through the Good Governance and Conflict, Stability and Security Funds, will this financial year provide between £7.5-8 million in funding for over 40 projects designed to improve Ukraine's governance and combat corruption.The UK helped establish the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and we continue to provide it with both technical assistance and political support against attempts to undermine its effectiveness. The UK is also providing Ukraine with technical assistance to enable it to meet its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area requirements, some of which are linked to increased transparency and accountability.

Turkey: Arms Trade

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has received from the Government of Germany on planned UK-Turkey defence cooperation following that country's decision to freeze defence exports to Turkey.

Sir Alan Duncan: None.

Ukraine: Corruption

Ms Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of recent steps taken by the Government of Ukraine to tackle anti-corruption; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: Recent achievements have been the establishment of the ProZorro e-procurement system; the creation of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the asset e-declaration system for all those drawing a public salary. There is still much more to do and the UK has growing concerns about attempts to undermine successful reforms, including these flagship achievements.

Ukraine: Politics and Government

Ms Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the Government of Ukraine's policies on (a) upholding the rule of law and (b) economic transition in that country.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK is providing both political and practical support to this, while urging the Ukrainian authorities to maintain progress. In July 2017 the UK hosted the Ukraine Reform Conference and a meeting between leading global businesses based in the UK and Ukrainian cabinet ministers. They discussed the business environment in Ukraine and the obstacles, particularly in the judicial sector, which inhibit Ukraine's ability to attract further foreign investment.As well as this political engagement, the UK is funding a range of technical assistance projects, including support to anti-corruption institutions, the establishment of an intellectual property rights court, and help to reform the Ministry of Finance, the management of public finances and Ukraine's tax system. The UK is also supporting small and medium sized enterprises in Ukraine.

North Korea: Nuclear Weapons

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has held any recent discussions with his international counterparts on the prospect of resuming the six-party talks in relation to North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Field: We are working with our international partners, including in the UN Security Council, on the need for North Korea to denuclearise and engage in a diplomatic resolution to current tensions. On 15 December, I attended a Ministerial-level Security Council meeting in New York, hosted by the Japanese Foreign Minister on the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear proliferation. In the course of my address, I condemned North Korea's illegal pursuit of an intercontinental nuclear weapon and urged members of the Council to increase the pressure on Kim Jong Un to change course. The UK stands ready to support negotiations, under the right circumstances, whether in the Six Party Talks or another agreed format.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with UN bodies and his international counterparts on ending the siege of Eastern Ghouta.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to demand full and sustained humanitarian access to besieged communities in Syria, including Eastern Ghouta, at every opportunity including at the UN. The UK strongly condemns the recent attacks and continued siege of Eastern Ghouta where, due to the Syrian regime's obstruction of aid deliveries and medical evacuations, as well as the increased aerial bombardments by pro-regime forces, the humanitarian situation has rapidly deteriorated over the last three months. UK officials raised our concerns regarding Eastern Ghouta at the weekly International Syria Support Group Humanitarian and Ceasefire Taskforces in Geneva on 14 December, as did the UK's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York at the humanitarian briefing to the UN Security Council on 29 November. I issued a statement on 14 December calling for all parties to the conflict to facilitate humanitarian access, allow for emergency medical evacuations and take all feasible measures to protect civilians, as required under international humanitarian law.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations to his counterparts in Russia, Iran and Turkey on air and artillery attacks in Eastern Ghouta since it was designated a de-escalation zone.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to demand full and sustained humanitarian access to besieged communities in Syria, including Eastern Ghouta, at every opportunity including at the UN. The UK strongly condemns the recent attacks and continued siege of Eastern Ghouta where, due to the Syrian regime's obstruction of aid deliveries and medical evacuations, as well as the increased aerial bombardments by pro-regime forces, the humanitarian situation has rapidly deteriorated over the last three months. UK officials raised our concerns regarding Eastern Ghouta at the weekly International Syria Support Group Humanitarian and Ceasefire Taskforces in Geneva on 14 December, as did the UK's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York at the humanitarian briefing to the UN Security Council on 29 November. I issued a statement on 14 December calling for all parties to the conflict to facilitate humanitarian access, allow for emergency medical evacuations and take all feasible measures to protect civilians, as required under international humanitarian law.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to UN bodies on air and artillery attacks in Eastern Ghouta since it was designated a de-escalation zone.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to demand full and sustained humanitarian access to besieged communities in Syria, including Eastern Ghouta, at every opportunity including at the UN. The UK strongly condemns the recent attacks and continued siege of Eastern Ghouta where, due to the Syrian regime's obstruction of aid deliveries and medical evacuations, as well as the increased aerial bombardments by pro-regime forces, the humanitarian situation has rapidly deteriorated over the last three months. UK officials raised our concerns regarding Eastern Ghouta at the weekly International Syria Support Group Humanitarian and Ceasefire Taskforces in Geneva on 14 December, as did the UK's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York at the humanitarian briefing to the UN Security Council on 29 November. I issued a statement on 14 December calling for all parties to the conflict to facilitate humanitarian access, allow for emergency medical evacuations and take all feasible measures to protect civilians, as required under international humanitarian law.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to UN bodies and his counterpart in the Syrian Government on civilian protection and ending the siege in Eastern Ghouta and other besieged communities in Syria.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to demand full and sustained humanitarian access to besieged communities in Syria, including Eastern Ghouta, at every opportunity including at the UN. The UK strongly condemns the recent attacks and continued siege of Eastern Ghouta where, due to the Syrian regime's obstruction of aid deliveries and medical evacuations, as well as the increased aerial bombardments by pro-regime forces, the humanitarian situation has rapidly deteriorated over the last three months. UK officials raised our concerns regarding Eastern Ghouta at the weekly International Syria Support Group Humanitarian and Ceasefire Taskforces in Geneva on 14 December, as did the UK's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York at the humanitarian briefing to the UN Security Council on 29 November. I issued a statement on 14 December calling for all parties to the conflict to facilitate humanitarian access, allow for emergency medical evacuations and take all feasible measures to protect civilians, as required under international humanitarian law.

Syria: Humanitarian Aid

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to Security Council Resolution 2165, if he will make representations to UN bodies on the need to ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Eastern Ghouta and other besieged areas in Syria.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to demand full and sustained humanitarian access to besieged communities in Syria, including Eastern Ghouta, at every opportunity including at the UN. The UK strongly condemns the recent attacks and continued siege of Eastern Ghouta where, due to the Syrian regime's obstruction of aid deliveries and medical evacuations, as well as the increased aerial bombardments by pro-regime forces, the humanitarian situation has rapidly deteriorated over the last three months. UK officials raised our concerns regarding Eastern Ghouta at the weekly International Syria Support Group Humanitarian and Ceasefire Taskforces in Geneva on 14 December, as did the UK's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York at the humanitarian briefing to the UN Security Council on 29 November. I issued a statement on 14 December calling for all parties to the conflict to facilitate humanitarian access, allow for emergency medical evacuations and take all feasible measures to protect civilians, as required under international humanitarian law.

Papua: Freedom of Association

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Indonesian counterpart on the right to freedom of association for members of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua in that country.

Mark Field: I have not discussed this issue with my Indonesian counterpart. However, during his visit to Papua in mid-November, the UK Ambassador to Indonesia, Moazzam Malik, met local government officials, civil society groups, businesses and local communities. He raised a range of human rights issues, including freedom of expression and association, media access, and the resolution of past human rights cases. The UK Government fully respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia.

Cameroon: Politics and Government

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the recent political instability in western Cameroon; and if he will make a statement.

Rory Stewart: The Government is deeply concerned to hear reports of deaths and injuries in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. There have been fatalities on both sides; a number of security forces personnel have been killed by protestors, and Amnesty International reported that 17 civilians were killed by security forces in October. There have been fewer reports of clashes recently and a heavy security presence remains in many Anglophone areas. The British High Commissioner in Yaoundé has raised our concerns about the situation in the Anglophone region, including the Government of Cameroon's obligations under international law in respect to human rights, with Prime Minister Philemon Yang on 22 November. In these and several other recent meetings with Cameroonian Ministers, he called on the Cameroonian Government to exercise restraint, enter into purposeful and inclusive dialogue and to take action to reduce tensions.

Abortion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations officials in his Department have made to representatives of (a) the Government of El Salvador and (b) other countries on changes to the abortion law of those countries.

Sir Alan Duncan: We deplore and condemn the Government of El Salvador's treatment of women who have miscarried. We raise our concerns about the abortion laws in El Salvador, and their harmful impact on women, with the Salvadoran Government on a regular basis. Our Ambassador in San Salvador last raised our concerns with the Salvadoran Foreign Minister on 29 November.The circumstances in which we can consider supporting legal and policy reform are set out in our published policy position on this issue. Ministers and officials engage other countries on this basis.

Iran: Religious Freedom

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of Christians and other religious minorities prosecuted for religious beliefs and activities in Iran since May 2017.

Alistair Burt: The human rights situation in Iran, including harassment and persecution of Christians, is of serious concern. Accurate figures on persecution of Christians are difficult to obtain but non-govermental organisations estimate that at least 21 Christians have been given long prison sentences in Iran since May 2017 for practice of their beliefs.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representation he has made to the United Nations on lifting the siege in Eastern Ghouta.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to demand full and sustained humanitarian access to besieged communities in Syria, including Eastern Ghouta, at every opportunity including at the UN. The UK strongly condemns the recent attacks and continued siege of Eastern Ghouta where, due to the Syrian regime’s obstruction of aid deliveries and medical evacuations, as well as the increased aerial bombardments by pro-regime forces, the humanitarian situation has rapidly deteriorated over the last three months. UK officials raised our concerns regarding Eastern Ghouta at the weekly International Syria Support Group Humanitarian and Ceasefire Taskforces in Geneva on 14 December, as did the UK’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York at the humanitarian briefing to the UN Security Council on 19 December. I issued a statement on 14 December calling for all parties to the conflict to facilitate humanitarian access, allow for emergency medical evacuations and take all feasible measures to protect civilians, as required under international humanitarian law.​

Sudan: Foreign Relations

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what bilateral meetings his Department held with representatives of the Government of Sudan visiting the UK-Sudan Trade Forum on 12 December 2017.

Boris Johnson: I and the Minister for Africa both met Sudanese Foreign Minister Ghandour on 12 December. In both meetings we highlighted the need for Sudan to make improvements on human rights and to undertake political and economic reforms.

Sudan: Foreign Relations

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department made to representatives of the Government of Sudan visiting the UK-Sudan Trade Forum on 12 December 2017 on (a) human rights and (b) corruption and transparency.

Boris Johnson: I and the Minister for Africa both met Sudanese Foreign Minister Ghandour on 12 December. In both meetings we highlighted the need for Sudan to make improvements on human rights and to undertake political and economic reforms.

Sudan: Overseas Trade

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish the speeches made at the UK-Sudan Trade Forum on 12 December 2017 by (a) Michael Aron, HM Ambassador to Sudan and (b) Tim Morris, Senior Trade Advisor for Africa.

Boris Johnson: The UK-Sudan Trade Forum, 12 December, was a privately organised event. We do not plan to publish the speeches made by Government officials.

Sudan: Export Controls

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether it is the intention of the Government to maintain the current range of EU export restrictions to Sudan after the UK leaves the EU.

Boris Johnson: The Government has introduced to Parliament a Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill to ensure the UK has the legal powers to maintain arms embargoes and other restrictive measures after we leave the EU. The design of specific sanctions regimes against Sudan and other countries will be determined in due course through secondary legislation. We have a legal obligation to implement UN sanctions. Our approach to non-UN sanctions will be guided by the political context at the time including the views of international partners.

Iran: Administration of Justice

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage the Government of Iran to reform its legal system to tackle the problem of people being charged with offences that are far more serious than their actions.

Alistair Burt: The human rights situation in Iran is of serious concern. The Foreign Secretary raised our human rights concerns with the Iranian Government during his visit to Iran on 9-10 December, as did I during my visit on 5 August.

Yousef Nadarkhani

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Government of Iran on the appeal by Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani against his 10-year prison sentence and two years in exile.

Alistair Burt: The human rights situation in Iran, including the harassment and persecution of Christians, is of serious concern. The Foreign Secretary raised human rights concerns with the Iranian Government as a notable element of his visit to Iran on 9-10 December. I did likewise during my visit on 5 August.

Nasser Navard Goltape

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Government of Iran on the case of Nasser Navard Goltape.

Alistair Burt: The human rights situation in Iran, including the harassment and persecution of Christians, is of serious concern. The Foreign Secretary raised human rights concerns with the Iranian Government as a notable element of his visit to Iran on 9-10 December. I did likewise during my visit on 5 August.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Public Expenditure

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which fruitless payments in excess of £30,000 his Department has made by (a) recipient of each such payment, (b) purpose of each such payment, (c) value of each such payment and (d) reason that payment was classified as fruitless in the 2017-18 financial year to date.

Sir Alan Duncan: The figures requested form part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's annual report submitted to Parliament. To date there have been no fruitless payments for expenditure in the current unaudited 2017-18 financial year.

Bahrain: Political Prisoners

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the treatment of political prisoners in Bahrain; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Government monitors events in Bahrain closely. We regularly raise human rights concerns with the Bahraini authorities in private and in public and will continue to do so. We encourage the Government of Bahrain to deliver on its international and domestic human rights commitments. We encourage those with concerns about the treatment of prisoners in detention to report these to the relevant human rights oversight bodies.

Sayed Alwadaei

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether officials in his Department plan to attend the trial of Sayed Nizar Alwadaei in Bahrain on 20 December.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and our Embassy in Bahrain continue to monitor this case, and have attended the court hearings. We plan to continue to do so.

Department for International Development

Marie Stopes International

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of her Department's funding to Marie Stopes International in developing countries, in light of the suspension of Marie Stopes’ abortion services in the UK.

Rory Stewart: DFID has robust monitoring and evaluation procedures to ensure UK taxpayers’ money is achieving the results we expect of it. Precise monitoring arrangements vary by project; however progress is always reviewed by DFID, on an annual basis. All of our reviews demonstrate confidence in the quality of MSI’s services in developing countries.

Developing Countries: Abortion and Contraceptives

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has rejected an application for funding on the grounds that the applicant does not provide abortion and contraception services during the last ten years.

Rory Stewart: DFID does not withhold funding on the grounds of an organisation's beliefs about reproductive health alone. To be eligible for any specific funding, however, an organisation has to be prepared to deliver the expected outputs of that project, and do so in accordance with the highest standards of evidence.

Developing Countries: Pneumonia

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help end childhood deaths from pneumonia globally by 2030.

Alistair Burt: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I provided on 5 December to Question number 116183.

Department for International Development: Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many and what proportion of her Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions in the 2017-18 Session to date have referred to the information requested not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally.

Rory Stewart: As of 20 December 2017, 0.4% of answers to written questions by DFID in the 2017/18 session refer to information not being collected or collated centrally.

Department for Education

Children: Social Services

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the reasons for the recent increases in the number of children (a) known to social services and (b) taken into care.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The government wants every child to be in the stable, loving home that is right for them. One of the key principles of the legislation which underpins the UK’s child protection system is that children are best looked after within their families, but that is not always possible. As a last resort, after other steps have failed, local authorities may apply to the independent courts for a decision about removing a child from his or her family – for the child’s safety. We regularly monitor and assess the number of children coming into contact with our child protection system, including through our statistics on ‘Children in need and child protection’ at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-children-in-need and our statistics on ‘Looked-after children’ at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children.

Schools: Greater London

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in London have been damaged by fires since the 2009-10 academic year; and how many of those schools were fitted with sprinkler systems (a) prior to those fires occurring and (b) since those fires occurred; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Universities Superannuation Scheme

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to analysis from the University and Colleges Union on changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme, what assessment he has made of any potential reductions in the pensions of university staff.

Joseph Johnson: Universities are autonomous institutions and they are responsible for their own pension provision. Government has no role in relation to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) beyond regulation as is applied to all workplace pension schemes by The Pensions Regulator. Neither the Secretary of State nor the Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation has discussed the USS with Universities UK (UUK) or the University and College Union (UCU). Officials have sought updates from UUK on the latest developments regarding the USS. These were informal discussions and there were no outcomes. The department has made no assessment of the impact of the proposed changes to the USS, and believes it would be inappropriate to comment.

Pupil Premium

Mrs Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will conduct a review of the appropriateness of the Pupil Premium scheme in relation to schools where the Ever 6 model does not reflect the number of pupils on roll; and will she make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The pupil premium provides schools with additional funding to raise the attainment of disadvantaged students of all abilities. This complements our work since 2010 to raise standards through reforms to the curriculum, assessment and accountability. The pupil premium, worth almost £2.5 billion this year alone, has so far provided about £11 billion of further funding for schools to improve the outcomes of their disadvantaged pupils. As well as £1,900 for each pupil who is in care or who has left care through specific routes, schools receive £1,320 for primary-aged pupils and £935 for secondary-aged pupils who are currently or have been registered for free school meals (FSM) at any point in the last six years (‘Ever 6 FSM’). Ever 6 FSM was one of several eligibility options set out in the 2010 public consultation on the pupil premium, and was adopted as the clear public preference. Analysis shows that pupils who have claimed FSM at any point in the past six years often under-achieve in comparison with their peers. Schools have worked hard to identify eligible pupils who have not registered for FSM. We have published effective practice, including guidance and a model registration form at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-and-pupil-premium-registration-form that seeks to help schools increase the proportion of eligible pupils that register for FSM; this will in turn lead to an increase in the pupil premium allocation awarded to the school.

Department for Education: Public Expenditure

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which fruitless payments in excess of £30,000 her Department has made by (a) recipient of each such payment, (b) purpose of each such payment, (c) value of each such payment and (d) reason that payment was classified as fruitless in the 2017-18 financial year to date.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Fruitless payments are types of losses – e.g. due benefit not received, by the department for money spent.I therefore refer the hon. Member for Edinburgh East to the answer I gave to PQ 115308, published on 30 November 2017: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=115308.

Children's Centres

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 112696, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to make the provision of children's centres a statutory requirement for councils.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Childcare Act 2006 already places a statutory duty on councils to have, so far as reasonably practicable, sufficient children's centres to meet local need. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/21/part/1/crossheading/childrens-centres. The Department for Education has published statutory guidance to support councils in exercising their duties under the Childcare Act 2006. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sure-start-childrens-centres.

Teachers: Labour Turnover

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the retention figures are for newly qualified teachers who began their employment in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The retention rates for newly qualified teachers who began their employment in each of the last 5 years are available in Table 8 of the ‘School Workforce in England: November 2016’ statistical release: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2016.

Cybercrime: Skilled Workers

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the continued provision of an adequacy of people with cyber security skills into the future.

Anne Milton: The government is investing £84 million of new funding over the next five years to improve the teaching of computing and drive up participation in computer science qualifications, particularly amongst girls. This will include increasing the expertise of up to 8,000 existing computer science teachers and a new National Centre for Computing Education. These changes build on the curriculum reforms made to primary and secondary education which include new challenging content such as coding, Boolean logic, and algorithms. Such reforms will provide students with the basic building blocks needed to go onto study cyber-security in further and higher education. For those wishing to follow a more technical route, we are creating new T levels for 16-18 year olds, and the government is currently considering options on how to incorporate cyber security within T-level routes. Employers are also designing new apprenticeship standards to replace apprenticeship frameworks putting industry at the heart of the skills system. A number of cyber related apprenticeship standards have already been approved for delivery. The government has introduced new innovative digital degree apprenticeships, which are employer accredited and have seen a growing number of employers and universities come together to create relevant, high quality curricula. In addition, we have supported the creation of Ada, the National College of Digital Skills, which will train up to 5,000 students within its first seven years for a wide range of digital careers. The department also works across government in helping deliver programmes to improve our national digital confidence, capability and capacity through the 2016-2021 National Cyber Security Strategy, which can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/567242/national_cyber_security_strategy_2016.pdf.

Pupils: Personal Records

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many requests for releases of children's sensitive personal confidential data at pupil-level from the National Pupil Database have been approved since March 2012.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Young People: Unemployment

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the change has been in the number of young people aged 18 to 25 who are not in education, employment or training in the last five years.

Anne Milton: The department publishes quarterly estimates for young people who are not in education, employment or training in England, including a breakdown for those aged 18-24, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/neet-statistics-quarterly-brief-july-to-september-2017. These estimates are based on age at the start of the academic year (academic age) and are not seasonally adjusted. Trends should be assessed by comparing the current time period with the same time period in the previous year to account for seasonal effects. Alternatively, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) publish quarterly estimates for the UK, also including a breakdown for 18-24 year olds, here:https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/unemployment/datasets/youngpeoplenotineducationemploymentortrainingneettable1. Note: unlike the department’s statistics, the headline ONS estimates are seasonally adjusted and are based on actual age.

Church Commissioners

Church Commissioners: Written Question

Chris Ruane: To ask the Honourable Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, how many and what proportion of the Church Commissioners' Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions in the 2017-18 Session to date have referred to the information requested not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally.

Dame Caroline Spelman: In the 2017-18 Session, to date, no answer given by the Church Commissioners has referred to the information requested not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Diversification

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research his Department is conducting on new diversification schemes for farms.

George Eustice: Final results of the 2015/16 Farm Business Survey in England show that 62% of farms now have some form of diversification and nearly a third of total farm business income comes from diversification enterprise including renewable energy, letting buildings for non-agricultural use, and on-farm processing and sales of farm produce. This is becoming an increasingly important aspect of farm income, especially as businesses look to reduce exposure to the volatility of agricultural commodities markets. We continue to hold regular meetings with stakeholders and are conducting analysis on a range of issues to inform future agriculture policy.

Cetaceans: Conservation

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he plans to make of the implications for his Department's policy on agreeing access to territorial waters for commercial fishing vessels registered in the EU of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation report on compliance on EU cetacean bycatch Regulation 812/2004.

George Eustice: When the UK leaves the EU we will be an independent Coastal State. We will be able to control and manage who has access to fish in UK territorial waters and our exclusive economic zone, in line with our obligations under international law. We will continue to promote sustainable fishing when we leave the EU.

Veterinary Medicine: Vacancies

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will add veterinarians working in the UK’s agri-food sector to the shortage occupation list after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: Defra is working closely with the Food Standards Agency, the Devolved Administrations and the veterinary sector to ensure that both the Government and veterinary businesses can continue to protect animal health and welfare, public health and food safety, and enable trade in animals and animal products. Together, we are assessing the challenges and opportunities arising from leaving the EU, with the aim of developing a flexible and skilled workforce which meets the UK’s needs for both the immediate and longer term future. The Shortage Occupation List is based on expert advice to the Home Office from the independent Migration Advisory Committee and is reviewed regularly.

Agriculture: Yorkshire and the Humber

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is his policy farmers in Yorkshire will receive the same amount of subsidies from the Government as they do from the EU Common Agricultural Policy after the UK has left the EU.

George Eustice: This Government has pledged to continue to commit the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of the parliament, expected in 2022. This is a greater level of security and certainty for farmers and landowners than anywhere else in the EU, where funding is guaranteed only to 2020. This total includes all EU and Exchequer funding provided for farm support under both Pillar I and Pillar II.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Families

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2017 to Question HL3576, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen families.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to which legislation his Department has applied the Family Test, published in August 2014.

George Eustice: The government is committed to supporting families. To achieve this, in 2014 we introduced the Family Test, which aims to ensure that impacts on family relationships and functioning are recognised early on during the process of policy development and help inform the policy decisions made by Minsters. The Family Test was not designed to be a ‘tick-box’ exercise, and as such there is no requirement for departments to publish the results of assessments made under the Family Test.

Livestock: Antibiotics

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of (a) the level of antibiotic resistant bacteria associated with intensive livestock units in the UK and (b) how this level of antibiotic resistant bacteria has changed in the past five years.

George Eustice: Antibiotic resistant bacteria data are collected through two methods of surveillance (clinical surveillance and monitoring). The surveillance programme serves to monitor resistance in a number of drug/bug combinations, which are a priority for human and animal health, rather than to monitor trends by type of farming systems. The harmonised monitoring produces results that are intended to be representative at a country level. The clinical surveillance relies on voluntary submission of samples by private veterinarians for diagnostic investigations to the network of government laboratories, and generates a useful indication of some of the resistance seen in the overall livestock population.  The latest data published in 2016 shows that overall, the rates of resistance have remained relatively stable for most of the bacteria and antibiotics tested. However, the level of resistance in E.coli found in chickens has started to decrease. All results from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate’s surveillance and monitoring activities are published annually in the UK-VARSS report - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/veterinary-antimicrobial-resistance-and-sales-surveillance-2016.

Animal Welfare: Public Consultation

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to open to public consultation the draft Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018.

George Eustice: Defra consulted on proposals to review the existing animal activities licensing regime in 2015-16. In July 2016 we published a summary of responses, and in February 2017 we published our Next Steps document which outlined our proposals following the consultation responses. Since then we have been working with representatives of key stakeholders to develop the new regulations. The draft regulations will now be laid in early 2018.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Legatum Institute

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether his Department has recently sought advice from the intelligence and security services about ministerial contacts with the Legatum Institute.

Mr Steve Baker: For obvious reasons, we can neither confirm nor deny whether we have sought any advice from the intelligence and security services regarding any institution.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Buildings

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union,what the (a) location is and (b) running costs are for each building used by his Department.

Mr Steve Baker: The Department for Exiting the European Union is currently located in the following existing Government buildings:9 Downing Street and 70 Whitehall;MOD Main Building, Whitehall;1 Horse Guards Road;100 Parliament Street The running costs for the 17/18 financial year to the end of November (excluding VAT) are:9 Downing Street and 70 Whitehall - £682,550MOD, Whitehall - £1,763,6671 Horse Guards Road - £165,984As of the end of November, no costs had been paid to HMRC for occupancy within 100 Parliament Street These figures are in-line with the going market rates for rent and operation in Westminster.

EU Nationals: Free Movement of People

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what effect the Joint report from the negotiators of the European Union and the United Kingdom Government on progress during phase 1 of negotiations under Article 50 TEU on the United Kingdom's orderly withdrawal from the European Union will have on the freedom of movement rights of EU nationals resident in another EU Member State.

Mr Robin Walker: The Joint report on the progress made during the first phase of negotiations contains the agreement that has been reached on safeguarding the rights of UK nationals in the EU and EU citizens in the UK. Post-exit, EU nationals resident in another EU Member State will continue to enjoy free movement rights under EU law and are therefore outside the scope of this agreement.

Brexit

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether he plans to make available the sectoral analysis papers he provided to the Exiting the European Union Committee to members of the (a) Scottish Parliament, (b) the Northern Ireland Assembly and (b) members of the National Assembly for Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robin Walker: We have provided sectoral information to Parliament as required by the motion passed by the House of Commons on 1 November.As we made clear in our written ministerial statement on 28 November, the same information was shared with the devolved administrations. You will be aware that under the Osmotherly Rules the reports are now the property of the aforementioned Committee. Therefore, you may wish to contact the Chair of the Commons Exiting the EU Committee directly.

Small Businesses

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what account he is taking of the interests of small businesses in negotiations on leaving the EU?

Mr Steve Baker: The millions of small and medium sized businesses throughout Britain make a significant contribution to our country through taxes, employing people and through the value of the goods and services they provide. The Government engages widely and regularly with small businesses from across the economy through attendance at industry events and visits to locations across the UK. Ministers work closely with representative bodies such as the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) to secure the best possible deal for the United Kingdom. In July, the FSB hosted a small business roundtable attended by Government Ministers. The FSB are also regularly invited to the Business Advisory Group, a forum of business representative organisations who regularly meet with senior Cabinet Ministers, including DExEU Secretary of State David Davis, to highlight their concerns regarding EU exit. Details of Ministerial meetings are published in the Department’s Quarterly Transparency Returns, which are made publicly available on GOV.UK.

Financial Services

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the Government publication, Ministerial meetings, April to June 2017, if he will publish the attendees at the April 2017 financial services roundtable hosted by Robin Walker MP.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to his Department's publication Ministerial meetings, April to June 2017, if he will publish the names of the attendees at the EU Financial Services firms Roundtable with Baroness Neville-Rolfe, hosted by Robin Walker MP.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the Government publication, Ministerial meetings January to March 2017, if he will publish the attendees at the Fintech roundtable attended by Lord Bridges of Headley.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to his Department's publication, Ministerial meetings: January to March 2017, if he will publish the names of the attendees at the Portsmouth Businesses Roundtable attended by Lord Bridges in January 2017.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to his Department's publication Ministerial Meetings: January to March 2017, if he will publish the names of the attendees at the Department for Transport Aviation Round Table attended by David Jones MP.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to his Department's publication Ministerial Meetings: January to March 2017 if he will publish the names of the attendees at the Department for Transport Rail Roundtable attended by David Jones MP.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to his Department's publication Ministerial Meetings: January to March 2017, if he will publish the names of the attendees at the Ministry of Defence roundtable attended by David Jones MP in March 2017.

Jon Trickett: to ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to his Department's publication Ministerial Meetings: January to March 2017, if he will publish the names of the attendees at the Fintech Roundtable attended by Robin Walker MP.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to his Department's publication Ministerial meetings, January to March 2017, if he will publish the names of the attendees at the tourism roundtable hosted by Robin Walker MP.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to his Department's publication Ministerial Meeting: January to March 2017, if he will publish the names of the attendees at the Broadcasting roundtable attended by Robin Walker MP in March 2017.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union,  who was present at the National Trade Associations roundtable attended by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in March 2017.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to his Department's transparency release entitled Ministerial meetings January to March 2017, who was present at the asset management roundtable attended by his Department's Under-secretary of State, the hon. Member for Worcester, in March 2017.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to his Department's transparency release entitled Ministerial meetings January to March 2017, who was present at the Inward Investor roundtable attended by his Department's Under-secretary of State, the hon. Member for Worcester, in February 2017.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to his Department's transparency release entitled Ministerial meetings January to March 2017, who was present at the Scottish Financial Services Roundtable attended by his Department's Under-secretary of State, the hon. Member for Worcester, in February 2017.

Mr Steve Baker: Details of ministerial and senior official meetings are published in the Department’s Quarterly Transparency Returns, which are made publicly available on GOV.UK.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Families

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2017 to Question HL3576, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen families.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government is committed to supporting families. To achieve this, in 2014 the Department for Work and Pensions introduced the Family Test, which aims to ensure that impacts on family relationships and functioning are recognised early on during the process of policy development and help inform the policy decisions made by ministers.The Prime Minister has also been clear that the process of exiting the European Union should not affect the ability of families to stay together. In the Joint Report on progress regarding the UK’s exit from the European Union, published on 8th December, it was announced that for EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU, who are captured by the Withdrawal Agreement, close family members will be able to join after exit on the basis of current EU rules, where the relationship existed at the point of the UK’s withdrawal. All family members lawfully resident with an EU citizen at the point of the UK’s withdrawal will also be protected and children born, before or after exit, to parents protected by the Withdrawal Agreement are entitled to join them.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Procurement

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of using private contractors in his Department in the (a) 2016-17, (b) current and (c) next financial year.

Mr Steve Baker: Departments routinely publish their expenditure on contractors in their Annual Report and Accounts. The cost to the Department of using contractors in 2016-17 is published in the 2017 Annual Report and Accounts.The cost to the Department of using contractors in 2017-18 will be found in the 2018 Annual Report and Accounts which will be published next year.There is no specific forecast for the cost of using private contractors for future years as contractors are used in order to meet short-term/immediate pressures. The Department ensures it has sufficient funds in order to deliver its objectives. All contractors are provided by approved government suppliers.

Nationality: Northern Ireland

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to paragraph 52 of the Joint Report of the Negotiators of the European Union and the United Kingdom Government, published on 8 December 2017, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of a Withdrawal Agreement respecting the rights, opportunities, and identity of one part of the UK population with section 149 of the Equality Act 2010.

Mr Robin Walker: Paragraph 52 of the Joint Report recognises the identity and citizenship rights of the people of Northern Ireland under the Belfast Agreement and the associated British-Irish Agreement (the Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Ireland, done at Belfast on 10 April 1998), which gives effect to those rights under international law. Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 does not extend to Northern Ireland and nor does it impact the rights that Ireland affords its citizens. There is a similar public sector duty in section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

Gibraltar: Brexit

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the implementation phase of the UK leaving the EU will be the same for Gibraltar as the rest of the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robin Walker: Both the EU and the UK have been clear that the Implementation Period will be agreed under Article 50 and be part of the Withdrawal Agreement. Both sides have also been clear that Gibraltar is covered by the Withdrawal Agreement and our Article 50 exit negotiations. The Prime Minister said clearly in the House on Monday that as we negotiate these matters we will be negotiating to ensure that the relationships are there for Gibraltar as well. We are not going to exclude Gibraltar from our negotiations for either the implementation period or the future agreement.

Attorney General

Serious Fraud Office: Finance

Louise Haigh: To ask the Attorney General, how many times and for what reasons blockbuster funding requests from the Serious Fraud Office have been denied since 2012.

Robert Buckland: There have been eight blockbuster funding applications since 2010, all of which have been approved by the Treasury. Funding for these cases is provided from the reserve. Total reserve funding by year from 2012-13 is: 2012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17£000s£000s£000s£000s£000s-5,0002,00010,00010,0006,73519,00023,23718,0007,5006,73524,00025,23728,00017,500 All of these blockbuster funded cases are still under active investigation and it is not possible for operational reasons to provide a breakdown of how the funding is allocated in each case.Reserve funding for years prior to 2016-17 also covers the costs of the SFO’s civil litigation cases.

Crime: Knives

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Attorney General, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on tackling knife crime.

Robert Buckland: As a member of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Ending Gang Violence and Exploitation, I meet on a regular basis with colleagues with a focus on the priority to reduce violence and knife crime. The Home Office has recently undertaken a consultation on dangerous and offensive weapons, which includes proposals for new knife offences and to strengthen measures to tackle the cycle of violence and threat to safety posed by knife crime.

Fraud

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Attorney General, what recent discussions he has had with the Serious Fraud Office on tackling economic crime.

Jeremy Wright: The Serious Fraud Office does vital work in tackling some of the most serious instances of economic crime. As the superintending Minister for the SFO, I regularly meet with the Director of the SFO to discuss key issues in relation to economic crime.

Sentencing: Appeals

Rehman Chishti: What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the unduly lenient sentence scheme.

Jeremy Wright: The number of sentences considered by the Solicitor General and I has more than doubled since 2010 – from 342 to 837 requests in 2016. Last year we took 190 of these cases to the Court of Appeal for consideration. The Court of Appeal agreed to increase the sentences of 141 offenders.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Families

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, to which legislation his Department has applied the Family Test, published in August 2014.

Alun Cairns: In applying the family test to the Wales Bill the department concluded that any effects on the family were indirect as they were dependent on future decisions taken by the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Government.

EU Grants and Loans: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the effect of proposals for a Shared Prosperity Fund on funding for Wales.

Alun Cairns: I have regular meetings with a number of Cabinet Colleagues on a range of issues, including the Shared Prosperity Fund. The UK’s exit from the EU provides us with an opportunity to reconsider how funding for growth across the UK is designed and delivered. Our manifesto committed to creating a UK Shared Prosperity Fund and work is ongoing across Government to consider how best this can be achieved.

Wales Office: Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many and what proportion of his Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions in the 2017-18 Session to date have referred to the information requested not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally.

Guto Bebb: The Wales Office have answered 1 written parliamentary question explaining that the requested information was not available on the grounds of it not being collected or held centrally. This is out of a total of 173 parliamentary questions that have been answered (as at 20 December).

Wales Office: Social Mobility

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps his Department has taken to improve social mobility in each of the last seven years.

Alun Cairns: Many of the levers which affect Social mobility are devolved in Wales and therefore the responsibility of the Welsh Government. However, my office works closely with a variety of Government departments to ensure that action in non-devolved areas fully considers the needs of Wales and helps to improve social mobility across the UK.

Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Justice: Families

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, to which legislation his Department has applied the Family Test, published in August 2014.

Dominic Raab: The government is committed to supporting families. To achieve this, in 2014 we introduced the Family Test, which aims to ensure that impacts on family relationships and functioning are recognised early on during the process of policy development and help inform the policy decisions made by Minsters. The Family Test was not designed to be a ‘tick-box’ exercise, and as such there is no requirement for departments to publish the results of assessments made under the Family Test.

Miscarriages of Justice: Compensation

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many successful applications for compensation following a conviction being quashed there were in (a) 2014, (b) 2015, (c) 2016 and (d) 2017; and what the average compensation award was for those claims in each of those years.

Dominic Raab: In the table below, the second column gives the number of applications received in the financial years 2013/14 to 2016/17 and the number received so far in the financial year 2017/18. The third column gives the number of applications made in a particular year that were awarded compensation, though the decision to award compensation may not have been made in the year in which the application was made. Year ending  31 MarchNumber of applications receivedOf which, the number of successful applications2013/144512014/154312015/162922016/175112017/18270 The average award among the five successful applications was £73,629.68. It would be inappropriate to provide figures for awards by year because recipients would be potentially identifiable.

Abortion: Clinics

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions there have been for public order offences involving vigil participants outside abortion clinics in England and Wales in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Dominic Raab: This information is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Domestic Violence: Children

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the timetable is for the publication of the consultation on a Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that measure for the support of children who have witnessed domestic violence and abuse is included within that consultation.

Dominic Raab: We will be launching a consultation on proposals in the Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill and accompanying non-legislative package in the new year. As announced in the Queen’s Speech this will include proposals to ensure that if abusive behaviour involves a child, then the court can hand down a sentence that reflects the devastating life-long impact that abuse has on the child. We have been working across Government to ensure the consultation addresses how we can best protect and support all victims of domestic abuse, including children who witness it.

Domestic Violence

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answers of 13 November, 28 November and 14 December 2017 to Questions 112585, 112584 and 118460 on 14 December 2017, on domestic violence: convictions and prosecutions, what that data is by fiscal year.

Dominic Raab: For the financial year 2015/16 there were 20 prosecutions and 2 summary convictions for the offence of controlling or coercive behaviour under section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015. For the financial year 2016/7 there were 135 prosecutions and 30 summary convictions for this offence. The breakdown of this data is shown below:  2015/16April – December 2016Summary convictions230Sentenced at Crown Court-7Sentenced at Magistrates’ Court223Of which:  Immediate custodial sentence-4Of which:  Maximum term (6 months)-3These are cases where the controlling or coercive offence was the principal offence. Where a defendant is charged with such an offence alongside another, such as serious sexual assault, the conviction and proceeding would be identified as a sexual assault offence in the statistics. Court proceedings data for 2017, including the period for January to March making up the balance of the 2016/17 fiscal year, is planned for publication in May 2018

Cabinet Office

Public Sector: Pay

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the equity for workers of the outcomes achieved by the pay review bodies that determine public sector pay.

Chris Skidmore: The remit of the Pay Review Bodies continues to be to provide evidence based advice on pay. We will consider their recommendations when they report from Spring 2018. Our assessment of public sector pay shows that wages in the public sector are roughly equivalent to those in the private sector, and, in addition, public sector workers benefit from more generous pensions. In line with their duties under equalities legislation, Ministers fully consider equalities impacts and implications when setting the Government’s pay policy. It is for Departments to consider the equalities impacts of their proposals on workforce strategy and pay.

Emergencies: Planning

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to develop (a) a new strategy for resilience in major disasters and (b) a new civil disaster response taskforce.

Caroline Nokes: Work is underway across Government to support local resilience to major disasters. This includes consideration of the response capabilities that could be better provided from the local and national levels when faced with major crises. This may include strengthening existing systems, and introducing a surge capability to respond to major civil crisis as outlined in the Queen’s Speech.

Cabinet Office: Staff

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the remit is of his Department's Europe Unit; how many staff the Unit is intended to employ; who is currently employed in the Unit; and what the proposed budget for the Unit is for the current financial year.

Caroline Nokes: What is the remit of the Europe Unit?The Unit was established to support the development and implementation of the Government's strategy for an orderly withdrawal from, and establishment of, a new partnership with the European Union. Its main roles are to: - provide the Prime Minister with advice on the development of the Government's approach;- support cross-Government decision-making; and- work with departments to advocate and deliver the Government's position with European partners.  How many staff does the Unit intend to employ? The Unit is forecast to employ about thirty staff. Who is currently employed in the Unit? Oliver Robbins, Europe AdviserFive Deputy DirectorsSix Cabinet Office Band AsSeven Cabinet Office Band Bs What is the proposed budget for the Unit for this current financial year? The full year out-turn will become available when the Cabinet Office 2017-18 Accounts are published in Summer 2018.

Cabinet Office: Legatum Institute

Liam Byrne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what meetings Ministers of his Department have had with representatives of the Legatum Institute in the last 12 months.

Chris Skidmore: Details of meetings that Cabinet Office Ministers have had with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis on GOV.UK.

Prime Minister: Brexit

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of officials to be employed by 10 Downing Street and (b) that office's payroll in (i) 2018, (ii) 2019, (iii) 2020, (iv) 2021 and (v) 2022 as a result of the UK leaving EU.

Caroline Nokes: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Tottenham on 24th October 2017, Official Report, C.106568.

Knives: Crime

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what change there has been in the number of attempted murders carried out by knives in the last five years.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA response
(PDF Document, 240.9 KB)

Public Service: Ombudsman

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the timetable is for his Department's publication of a response to the pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Public Service Ombudsman Bill.

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will place copies of the written responses to the draft Public Service Ombudsman Bill in the Library.

Chris Skidmore: The Government published a draft Public Service Ombudsman Bill in December 2016 to allow the Bill to be opened up to pre-legislative scrutiny. The Communities and Local Government Select Committee held a pre-legislative scrutiny session in March 2017. This can be accessed on their Parliamentary website: www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/communities-and-local-government-committee/inquiries/parliament-2015/inquiry8/ Responses will be taken account of in the final Bill, which will be introduced as and when a legislative opportunity arises.

Haematological Cancer

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have been diagnosed with a blood cancer by (a) gender and (b) age group in each of the last five years.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response 
(PDF Document, 118.98 KB)

Engineers and Technicians: Females

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the change has been in the proportion of females among full-time technicians and engineers in the engineering industry over the last ten years.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response 
(PDF Document, 190.65 KB)

Government Departments: Public Appointments

Luke Pollard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many former Conservative Members of Parliament who lost their seats at the general election 2017 have been appointed to (a) paid and (b) unpaid positions in Government Departments since June 2017.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what pay bands former Conservative Members of Parliament who were defeated at the General Election 2017 have been appointed to by Government Departments. .

Luke Pollard: To ask Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many former Conservative Members of Parliament who were defeated at the general election 2017 and who now work in government were appointed after a publicly advertised and open recruitment process.

Chris Skidmore: It is for individual departments to maintain records of their employees. This information is not held centrally

Government Departments: Public Appointments

Alan Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people who were Conservative Members of Parliament in the 2015-2017 Parliament and lost their seats at the 2017 General Election are employed by the Government.

Caroline Nokes: Information about employees of individual departments is not held centrally.

Contaminated Blood and Blood Products Inquiry

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent progress has been made on the inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal.

Chris Skidmore: I refer the Honourable Member to the Prime Minister’s written statement of today’s date.

Ministers: Travel

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of ministerial travel by (a) commercial flights, (b) RAF flights, (c) Eurostar, (d) ferry, (e) road, (f) commercial helicopter in each of the last three years.

Chris Skidmore: Details of ministerial travel overseas, including costs, are published on a quarterly basis, and are available on GOV.UK.

Employment: Learning Disability

Nic Dakin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what percentage of adults with a learning disability in (a) England, (b) Yorkshire and Humberside and (c) Scunthorpe constituency were in paid work in (i) 2015, (ii) 2016 and (iii) 2017.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response 
(PDF Document, 62.97 KB)

Suicide

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information he holds on which cities in the UK have the highest suicide rates per 100,000 people in each year for which data is available.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information he holds on which 100 local authority wards in the UK have the highest suicide rates per 100,000 people in each year for which data is available; and what those suicide rates were.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response 
(PDF Document, 63.29 KB)

Cabinet Office: Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of his Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions in the 2017-18 Session to date have referred to the information requested not being (a) collected or (b) collated centrally.

Caroline Nokes: The Cabinet Office have answered 54 written parliamentary questions explaining that the requested information was not available on the grounds of it not being collected or held centrally. This is out of a total of 1,051 parliamentary questions that have been answered.

Census: Welsh Language

Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Government will make it its policy to include in the 2021 census a question on people who can speak Welsh who do not live in Wales.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response 
(PDF Document, 68.41 KB)

Voting Rights: Young People

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending the right to vote to 16 and 17-year-olds.

Chris Skidmore: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Linlithgow and East Falkirk (Mr Day) on Monday 26 June 2017 to written question 729.

Regulation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department provides guidance that sets out the circumstances under which a Secretary of State can instruct an independent regulator to reconsider a decision it has already taken.

Chris Skidmore: The Cabinet Office does not publish such guidance. Secretaries of State must act in accordance with the terms set out in the relevant legislation for each individual regulator.

Public Sector: Procurement

Bill Esterson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2017 to Question 117657, what guidance he plans to issue to business on the improvement made to those digital procurement platforms.

Caroline Nokes: The Crown Commercial Service emails all registered suppliers with details of enhancements to Contracts Finder in advance and when they are released. Contracts Finder is also featured in our programme of presentations to SMEs and industry bodies. As Crown Marketplace progresses past the test phase a supplier engagement strategy (which includes communications and guidance) is being developed. Crown Marketplace continues to engage closely with the supplier market including SMEs.

Public Sector: Procurement

Bill Esterson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2017 to Question 117657, on Public Sector: Procurement, what plans he has to reduce the volume of information required for businesses that bid for public procurement contracts.

Caroline Nokes: We have already taken action to ensure that bidding processes are simplified across the public sector. Pre-Qualification Questionnaires (PQQ) have been abolished for low value contracts, and a streamlined, standard Selection Questionnaire introduced for those instances where it is required. The standard Selection Questionnaire asks potential suppliers to initially just self-declare their status against the exclusion grounds and selection questions. This reduces the burden on organisations providing evidence against those checks and aligns with the process required in the PCR 2015 for the European Single Procurement Document (ESPD). We will continue to look for ways to reduce the burdens place on companies bidding for government business, especially for smaller businesses.

House of Commons Commission

House of Commons: Security

Christian Matheson: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many (a) members, (b) members' staff and (c) other pass holders have been reported to the Serjeant at Arms by security officers or police officers for failure to wear or failure to present on request their Palace of Westminster Security Pass in each of the last five years.

Tom Brake: The Serjeant at Arms Office does receive emails and phone calls on the subject of failure to wear a Security Pass but the Office does not make a record of these or hold statistics.

House of Commons: Conditions of Employment

Fiona Bruce: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2017 to Question HL3576, what steps he is taking to strengthen the families of Members and staff working in Parliament.

Tom Brake: The House of Commons Commission is committed to providing family friendly policies, e.g. maternity leave, parental leave, adoption leave, foster care leave, career breaks, flexible working and the offer of Childcare Vouchers.The House of Commons Commission has also taken a number of steps to improve the availability of childcare around the Estate. The House Reference Group on Representation and Inclusion is currently piloting an emergency childcare contract, which makes it easier for Members and House staff to find childcare at short notice. This is in addition to the facilities of the Parliamentary nursery, which welcomes users from across the Parliamentary Estate. Also, all Parliamentary pass holders have access to the Westminster Holiday Playscheme catering for children between 4 years 9 months and 12 years old.The House of Commons recently launched the Work+Family Space website for Members, Members’ staff and staff of the House of Commons. The site provides assistance with Backup Care services which include Emergency Childcare, School Holiday Cover and Backup Adult & Eldercare, paid for by the end user. The website also offers a range of other services providing information and advice on a range of subjects.In addition, Parliament is aiming to take part in the Inter-Parliamentary Union Gender Sensitive Parliament audit. As part of this process there will be a focus on how Parliament supports work-life balance and family obligations.The Members’ pension scheme has comprehensive cover for partners, spouses and dependants in the event of a Member’s death, and the benevolent fund can support their families financially if necessary as well, after they have left the House or died.